Like the Coast Guard doesn’t have a hard enough job!
SEATTLE — Coast Guard personnel assisted in the removal of an activist who secured himself to the anchor chain of the Arctic Challenger in Bellingham, Wash., Sunday morning.
Matt Fuller requested Coast Guard assistance down from the vessel’s anchor chain at approximately 4:30 a.m. and was taken to Coast Guard Station Bellingham.
Coast Guard personnel transported him in good condition to Station Bellingham were he was met by EMS and the Bellingham Police Department but was not arrested. Fuller was released in good condition.
The Coast Guard has cited four people for violation of the 100-yard safety zone around the Arctic Challenger and has terminated the voyage of two vessels determined to not have had the required safety gear including operating without navigational lights after sunset. A small inflatable raft was held due to lack of proof of ownership.
“The Coast Guard has a duty to promote the safety of life at sea, which includes the encouragement of safe navigation in our ports and waterways by all waterway users, said Lt. Cmdr. Justin Noggle, chief of enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, in Seattle. “The Coast Guard respects the First Amendment Rights of people to safely and lawfully assemble on the water. To that end, we will enforce those laws and regulations necessary to ensure the safety of the maritime public.”
Violation of the safety zone can result in possible civil or criminal penalties. Whether intentional or unintentional, interference with these vessels has the potential to result serious injury, death or pollution in the highly sensitive ecosystem of Puget Sound.
Pair Chains Themselves to Shell Ship Near Seattle to Protest Arctic Drilling
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Two people have chained themselves to a support ship that is part of Royal Dutch Shell’s exploratory oil drilling plans and currently moored in Washington state.
Eric Ross of the Backbone Campaign said on Saturday morning that Matt Fuller joined student activist Chiara Rose in suspending themselves from the anchor chain of the Arctic Challenger, which is in Bellingham Bay.
Rose suspended herself from the ship with a climbing harness on Friday night in protest to Shell’s plan for Arctic drilling.
Reese Semanko The Coast Guard cutter Osprey spent the night monitoring Rose but took no action, Petty Officer 3rd Class Katelyn Shearer said Saturday morning. “We’re really most concerned for her safety and the safety of everyone involved,” Shearer said.
Ross said both Rose and Fuller are fine and are not being harassed by the Coast Guard. But he expressed concern for Rose’s health and said she must be getting dehydrated and tired after her night above the water.
Authorities spoke with the woman and asked her to remove herself. “There’s no plans right now to do anything further,” Shearer said.
The ship isn’t scheduled to leave the port for several days.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Let’s be a little careful with the keywords “fools, idiots” here, OK? If the Shell drilling platform that currently sits anchored in Elliott Bay, Seattle (about four miles from my home) was parked in Gloucester harbor, there would be a lot of upset people on Cape Ann too. I certainly don’t agree with everything young people do to try to change or protect the world, but not much would get done without them.
As for the Coast Guard, for which I have unbounded respect and admiration, they’re in charge of trying to clean up oil spills as well as their many other jobs. Just because the Arctic Ocean is a long way from Ipswich Bay or the Grand Banks makes it no less important or worthy of protection.
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In 1969 there was an oil spill in Santa Barbara. For those who are old enough, that spill was the real beginning of the activist environmental movement.
Last week there was a ruptured pipe in Santa Barbara and another oil spill. Anybody hear about it? Anyone give a shit? These young kids are bringing a focus on the raping of the arctic, as pristine as Santa Barbara used to be.
From the story, the Coast Guard is doing an admirable job. I applaud their efforts of handling the activists. That derrick in Seattle should be stopped before it heads north. The idea has been tried and it doesn’t work. They should stop. The list of failures of trying to drag these rigs north reads like a terrible joke.
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Not a very good way to protest here…:-O
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I lived in the Alaska Arctic for three years and saw ice surges pile up blocks of ice the size of the side f a two-story building. It’s a volatile environment. Unless they site the rigs on man-made islands like some of the other facilities, it’ll be a mess. And yes, the Coast Guard is without a doubt one of the most valuable of government branches.
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FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great work and thank you.
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