Activists in New York ports boycott Russian tankers

Environmental activists protest against oil tankers carrying Russian fuel to New York. Energy companies are enjoying a grace period before an official ban on oil and gas supplies to America from this country comes into force, reports Gothamist.

On March 20, members of the Greenpeace organization boarded two small boats to confront the Minerva Virga, a massive tanker carrying crude oil from Russia, while it was anchored off the coast of Rockaway. The vessel is among dozens of oil and gas tankers that have been bringing Russian fuel to the United States in recent weeks, according to tracker Greenpeace.

A spokesman for the US Coast Guard confirmed that their presence does not violate President Joe Biden's March 8 ban for Russian fuel. According to this decision, companies have until April 22 to curtail all energy supplies from the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, tankers attract the attention of activists.

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The protests followed a series of US sanctions against Russia, including a ban on that country's fossil fuels. The ban, according to Biden, "will deal another powerful blow to Putin's military machine." But officials in Ukraine complain that oil tankers, some of which are owned by the United States, continue to transport millions of gallons of oil from Russia to America.

Since the Biden decision was announced, at least two tankers carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil have unloaded their product in ports. New Jerseyowned by Kinder Morgan, a Houston-based pipeline operator.

Kinder Morgan didn't comment.

A third vessel, called the Confidence, was anchored off New York Harbor with a cargo of oil chartered by Phillips 66. Eunice Bridges, spokeswoman for Phillips 66, said the company is “working to ensure the security of supply for both our refineries and and for our customers, at all times complying with all applicable sanctions.”

In recent weeks, tankers carrying Russian oil have faced stiff resistance from dock workers who have refused to offload cargo in the UK, Canada and along much of the US West Coast. At the same time, Jim McNamara, spokesman for the International Association of Coastal Inspectors, said that the union officially did not approve of the boycott of Russian cargo.