8 Greenpeace Members Held in New Bid to Plug Chevron Pipes
Eight members of the environmental group Greenpeace were arrested for conspiracy to commit malicious mischief Monday afternoon after an abortive second attempt to plug a Chevron USA Inc. waste-water pipe in the ocean off El Segundo.
A first attempt to block the underwater pipe last Thursday failed when waters became too turbulent for Greenpeace divers. At that time, two members piloting inflatable boats were cited and released for straying within 300 feet of the surf, in violation of a city ordinance.
Monday’s attempt was halted when El Segundo police arrested the divers and crew of the group’s boat Alcyon shortly after divers plugged nine of the estimated 60 holes in the discharge pipe. The pipe, which spews about 6 million gallons of waste from the refinery daily into Santa Monica Bay, is located 500 feet offshore and discharges into 20 feet of water. Chevron contract divers unplugged the pipe.
Arrested were William Winter, 24, of Torrance; Matt Herron, 32, of Seattle; John Kobey, 29, of San Francisco; Philip Templeton, 39, of Washington, D.C.; David Rapaport, 25, of San Francisco; Diana Desnoyers, 26, of San Francisco; Hendrik Strydom, 25, of South Africa, and Kathy Karam, 26, of San Francisco. All eight were charged with felony counts of conspiracy and held in the city’s jail. Bail was set at $5,000 each. Chevron spokeswoman Brenda Smyth said the company has not yet decided whether it will press charges.
