Corrib Gas Go Ahead Granted to Shell

mayo | environment | news report Wednesday October 27, 2004 18:06 by Terry - NUIG Ecology Society/Galway Grassroots/Anarchist Federation/Organise! (personal capacity) room101ucg at yahoo dot co dot uk

As of last week An Board Plenala has approved the on shore gas refinery and pipeline part of Shell’s 800 million euro Corrib gas project in North Mayo.

This is despite the fact that the pipeline goes through goes through the same area where the Pollathomas landslide occurred in September 2003. Campaigners believe this avalanche, which washed away a graveyard, was caused by construction work on behalf of Shell at the base of a mountain. Had the pipeline been running at the time of this incident the effects can be imagined. This work was being under taken, before planning permission, under a foreshore licence granted by then Minister for the Marine, Galway based Fianna Fail T.D., Frank Fahey. Campaigners may now seek a judicial review of the decision; this however is a far more costly process than lodging objections with An Board Plenala.

Neo-Liberal Yo-Yos:

The planning decision has been welcomed by Ballina Chamber of Commerce and local councillors with the usual investment-prosperity mantra. However the fact is some pretty cushy deals were introduced for oil and gas companies in the late 80ies under the watch of Ray Burke. The same Ray Burke who bounces in and out of tribunals like a yo-yo.

From the mid 70's onward the rule was the state got a half stake in all oil and gas discoveries, this has been removed. There are no royalties for the state, which has to buy back the gas, and provide infrastructure for the companies, as well as state land at what is suspected to have been a token price.Moreover there is here a 25% tax rate, comparable to 78% in Norway and a world average of 50%.If that wasn’t enough costs can be written off against tax.

Companies are suspected of giving drastic under-estimate of finds, the Corrib Gas field is worth 3 billion euro according to Shell, but independent consultants reckon it at up to 21 billion euro. Ironically Matt Farrell, president of Ballina’s Chamber of Commerce compares the economic impact of the Shell development to the Asahi plant in Killala, long closed. Some of the considerable capital generated by this industry in Scotland and Norway is diverted to social use, this however will most definitely note be the case here.

Shell’s International Record:

Shell’s international record is documented in “Behind the Shine: The other Shell report 2003”.

The report was put together by community based environmental groups from around the globe, groups from South Africa, to Texas, to the Philippines. It demonstrates just how much multi-national corporations will get away with if they can, if they have compliant governments.

For instance the SAPREF refinery in Durban, South Africa, a rusting hulk left over from the Apartheid era and jointly operated with that other perennial of atrocity, British Petroleum, releases 19 tons of sulphur dioxide into the air, daily. More than six times the amount released by a Shell refinery in Denmark.

In Texas 80% of the community adjoining a Shell refinery suffer respiratory or heart problems, compared with 30% of the population elsewhere.

In the Philippines Shell have located a massive oil and gas depot in the middle of an urban residential area, despite legislation ordering them to move.

So Can We Then Expect Environmental Protection From The Irish State, Certainly Not Of Its Own Choice.

Rest assured though Shell is providing 6.5 million euro to the up keep of roads in Mayo, aye, the boreens its construction Lorries will have to trundle along, and a monitoring committee is being established with local participation; from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Chamber of Commerce no doubt.

Related Links:

The Other Shell Report: http://www.shellfacts.com/index.html

Irish Oil and Gas: http://www.irishoil.net/

The Saga of the Corrib Gas Field - a back grounder on this issue is here:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66344