My eldest son is an aerospace engineer and lives and works in Seattle on the US West coast. He’s built a career in an industry which nowadays offers few opportunities in Scotland nor many in other parts of the UK.
Oil major Shell could still house some of its fleet in Seattle’s port despite pulling out of plans for exploratory drilling in Alaska.
The company said last month it would no longer be pursuing Arctic drilling for the foreseeable future after disappointing results from an initial well.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said the ruling by deputy hearing examiner Anne Wantanable to clear the way for the possibility of Shell using Terminal 5 for the Polar Pioneer was disappointing.
Wantanabe said the attempt by the city’s department of planning and development to require a new land-use permit relied on “inaccurate” characterisations of the work to be done.
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace says 13 of its activists have blocked Shell's Polar Pioneer drilling rig as it tries to leave Seattle for Arctic waters.
