For the past 3 years, oil & gas giant Shell International have been running roughshod over local communities on the north west coast of Ireland and are poised to transform a remote conservation area of outstanding natural beauty into an environmental disaster zone with serious public health & safety implications.
There has been, and still is, a long saga ongoing in the courts and planning appeal process. In April, Shell was granted a temporary injunction after local farmers stopped them from entering their lands.. The farmers were referred to as trespassers during the proceedings. The arguments of the defendants showed up the arrogance of a multinational in pursuit of its profits.
In making their case, Shell said that they needed the injunction proceedings to be dealt with quickly claiming they have a �window of opportunity� for construction between April and October of this year and that if the project was delayed until late June there was a �real possibility that it would not be completed in that construction season� and hence would be delayed until next year... that it is �imperative� this does not happen, lest there be �enormous additional costs.� Shell will lose �25,000 every day that construction is delayed after 1st June.
A Solidarity Gathering is being planned 4-6th June to raise awareness plus a protest rally at the beach site in Co Mayo on the north west coast of Ireland. A meeting is also being organised in London (date TBC) to discuss a benefit to raise money for van hire to the solidarity Gathering in Mayo, plus solidarity actions in the UK.
Reclaim the Beach: Solidarity Gathering: June Bank Holiday weekend (Ireland) from 4th - 6th June In Co Mayo: contact info {at} shelltosea.com
Take a stand against Shell�s destruction in Co Mayo on the N.W coast of Ireland.
The aim of the planned gathering is to show solidarity with the local people who are opposing Shell's plans to construct a dangerous, high pressure, raw gas pipeline from the Corrib gas field, 65 km off the beautiful remote and wild N.W coast of Ireland which will pass through villages and over the land of small farmers, to a massive refinery to be constructed just 2 miles from the region's water source, Lake Carrowmore.
Bottom of Form
During the gathering there will be live music, workshops about the issues and the area, a protest rally, and ongoing discussion about what to do next. Bring your tent, be ready to rough it, and be as self sufficient and self organized as possible. Volunteers will be needed for food preparation, clean up, etc. Volunteers will be needed beforehand too. If you can help please contact: info {at} shelltosea.com
Buses will be running from Castlebar, Co Mayo, to the venue site on Saturday the4th of June. Help us plan for this by telling us in advance if you are coming by e-mailing info {at} shelltosea.com. Castlebar is well served by public transport from elsewhere in the country. PDFs of leaflets and a map of the area will be available shortly.
Shell have been given permission by the High Court to start work on the landfall where the off-shore pipeline hits the beach. Help the local people to stop Shell!
BACKGROUND OF SHELL�S PLANNED DEVASTATION OF THE AREA
The Pipeline: This is not the normal run of the mill gas pipeline. This is an unprecedented development. Normally up stream pipelines of untreated gas do not go over land. The gas is normally refined at sea (which is bad enough) piped ashore at a much lower pressure and odorised. The gas pipeline also has adjoining pipelines carrying hydraulic fluid, cleansing acids, and a waste pipe. There will also be electric cables. The biggest Bord Gais pipelines, bringing gas cross-country or overseas, run at 16 � 70 bar pressure. This is a high pressure pipeline, 345 bar pressure for the gas, 610 bar pressure for the acids and hydraulic fluid. It is untreated, that is, odourless, without the added smell for detecting leaks and will go past houses and through villages and will pass through boggy land with a history of landslides.
This development is so unprecedented the relevant legislation and regulations assumes its non-existence, that is, it applies to off shore upstream pipelines and to on land ones of around the levels of pressure used by Bord Gais.
The Refinery: The cleaning terminal, a large combustion plant, is a huge project. Power will come from burning off the uncleaned gas condensate, full of chemical nasties, such as oxides of carbon & nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, methane and ozone. There are nine chimneys, four of them approx 140 ft high, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. 16 houses are within 2km radius of the station. It will be constructed on unstable bog using previously untried methods to stabilise the bog surface and involve a massive amount of traffic. The waste water storage sump design is inadequate for the regional rainfall and will overflow into Carrowmore Lake, source of the region�s water supply.
Carrowmore Lake: is protected as a Natura 2000 site under EU habitats directive. It is also on the United Nations list of protected conservation areas. It has already been degraded due to Shell related civil engineering with a marked decline in fishing and the arrival of algae bloom. It will be on the receiving end of emissions from the proposed refinery.
Broadhaven Bay: toxic waste will be pumped into this from sHELL�S refinery, including lead, nickel, magnesium, phosphorous, chromium, arsenic, mercury and the radioactive gas radon. Due to the bay�s circular tidal pattern much of this toxic waste will stay within the bay, rather than be washed out to sea. Broadhaven Bay is a Special Area of Conservation under EU regulations. It also provides livelihoods to local communities through fishing. The bay supports an internationally important number of brent geese and regionally important populations of other birds. In Shell�s Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) they stated that Broadhaven Bay was of no particular importance to whales & dolphins in order to gain a licence for off-shore work.. They commissioned a study by University College Cork(UCC). The UCC study found that Broadhaven Bay was a breeding and rearing area for whales and dolphins, recording over 220 sightings of seven whale and dolphin species, plus sightings of two seal species, basking sharks & a sea turtle. Shell neglected to mention the study in their EIS.
FOR BACKGROUND ON RESIDENTS INJUNCTED BY SHELL:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69084
PREVIOUS INDYMEDIA IRELAND FEATURES:
http://www..indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69249
- Log in to post comments