Brent Spar occupation
The Brent Spar occupation refers to a significant environmental protest that took place in 1995 when Greenpeace activists occupied an abandoned oil storage platform off the coast of Norway. The Brent Spar, owned by Royal Dutch Shell, was intended to be sunk in the Atlantic Ocean after being decommissioned. Greenpeace opposed this plan, advocating for on-land dismantling and recycling, which they argued was more environmentally responsible. Their campaign gained traction, especially after the European Parliament passed a resolution against the ocean dumping.
Despite negotiations and public demonstrations supporting their cause, Shell initially proceeded with its disposal plan. However, widespread protests, including actions against Shell gas stations, led to a considerable drop in the company's sales. Ultimately, Shell reversed its decision and opted for a moratorium on sea disposal following pressure from various nations and the European community. The Brent Spar was later dismantled on land, with some of its components repurposed for new infrastructure. This incident underscores the impact of environmental activism on corporate practices and regulatory policies regarding marine disposal.
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Brent Spar occupation
The Event: Occupation of an abandoned oil storage platform by Greenpeace protesters
Dates: April 30-May 23, 1995
As the result of their occupation of the Brent Spar, which Royal Dutch Shell had planned to sink, Greenpeace protesters were able to influence the company to adopt alternative disposal methods.
On April 30, 1995, fourteen Greenpeace volunteers boarded the abandoned oil storage platform Brent Spar, which was anchored off the western coast of Norway in the North Sea. The Brent Spar, a floating cylinder moored to the sea bottom, had been built in 1976, but it had been taken out of commission in 1991. Its owner, Royal Dutch Shell, intended to lower the platform into the Atlantic Ocean and then sink it under more than six thousand feet of water.
Greenpeace had engaged in months of negotiations with Shell prior to the occupation. Representatives of the environmental activist group had urged Shell officials to develop a plan for dismantling the platform on land, citing studies that had concluded that on-land disposal and recycling of oil rigs is environmentally preferable to sea dumping. Shell replied with studies of its own asserting that deep-sea disposal is the more environmentally sound option.
When it became clear that Shell planned to proceed with the ocean dumping, Greenpeace sent fourteen volunteers to the platform. It also stepped up its publicity campaign, drawing support from the European Union (EU) commissioner for the environment, Denmark’s minister for environment and energy, and other important sources. In May, the European Parliament passed a resolution opposing the dumping of the Brent Spar.
On May 22, Shell dispatched a team to the Brent Spar to remove the protesters, but bad weather delayed the evacuation. The volunteers ended their occupation the next day but vowed to continue the fight in the courts. However, an English judge refused to hear the Greenpeace case, stating that the English courts had no jurisdiction over the North Sea matter.
In June, German chancellor Helmut Kohl raised the question of the Brent Spar with British prime minister John Major. By then, Germany had joined the list of nations opposing the dumping of oil platforms in the sea. Shell nevertheless proceeded with its plan. In late June, therefore, Greenpeace activists again boarded the platform by helicopter. Meanwhile, demonstrations against Shell took place in Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland. In Germany, a Shell gas station was firebombed, and the company’s sales fell more than 15 percent.
On June 20, Shell announced that it would not dump the Brent Spar in the sea. Nine days later, the member nations of the Oslo Paris Commission (OSPAR), in a vote of eleven to two (Norway and the United Kingdom opposing), decided to impose a moratorium on sea disposal of oil platforms. The following month, Shell received permission from the Norwegian government to store the Brent Spar in an inlet on Norway’s west coast while working out plans for its dismantling. The platform was finally dismantled in 1999, with parts of it repurposed as the foundation for a new ferry terminal at Mekjarvik, Norway.
Bibliography
Chasek, Pamela S., et al. Global Environmental Politics. 4th ed. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2006.
Entine, Jon. “Shell, Greenpeace, and Brent Spar: The Politics of Dialogue.” Case Histories in Business Ethics, edited by Chris Megone and Simon J. Robinson. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Jordan, Grant. Shell, Greenpeace, and the Brent Spar. New York: Palgrave, 2001.