Seattle Port, City Council Clash Over Drill Rigs

A decision by the Port of Seattle to host Shell Oil's Arctic drill rigs has made for tense relations between the port and the Seattle City Council.

1 minute read

May 8, 2015, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


On Tuesday, March 5, "Seattle City Council members heard testimony on a resolution…urging the Port of Seattle to reconsider its controversial decision to host Shell Oil’s Arctic drill rigs," according to an article accompanying an on-air radio report on Kuow.

Earlier in the week, Marcie Sillman and Kate O'Connell reported that the city's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) "released an interpretation [pdf] that said seasonal moorage of a drilling rig and tugboats wasn’t consistent with the site's use as a cargo terminal under the Port of Seattle's lease with Foss Maritime."

According to a separate articled by Josh Feit, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has come down on the side of the environmentalists protesting the use of the port for storing drill rigs, though he explained that the DPD announcement won't stop Shell, "but it give the Port a chance for a pause."

Wednesday, May 6, 2015 in KUOW

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine