Shell to Sea outlines position in Corrib gas saga

mayo | miscellaneous | press release Thursday December 08, 2005 11:22 by Dr. Mark Garavan - Shell to Sea

Shell to Sea Press Release 5.12.05

Shell to Sea wishes to affirm again its absolute commitment to environmental protection. Pickets maintained by local concerned citizens at Shell’s Bellanaboy site have been directed to ensuring that Shell did not engage in any construction work which would facilitate the imposing of the highly dangerous production pipeline through rossport.

Shell to Sea has at all times made clear its determination to ensure that Shell maintain full environmental monitoring and maintenance of its site. Recent difficulties regarding site access have arisen because of Shell’s unilateral decision to change the procedures by which local observers can enter the site. The breakdown in communication and confidence which has resulted has added to local anxieties regarding Shell’s activities.

Following repeated requests by the Shell to Sea campaign for Mayo County Council and the North Western Regional Fisheries Board to take charge of any environmental matters on site, all concerned parties (except local residents) had complete unrestricted access to Shell sites from October 11th to November 16th – a total of 37 days. It was understood by Shell to Sea that all necessary work had been completed.


Following the breakdown in the working agreement allowing on-site observers, SEPIL’s MD publicly stated on November 25th that three more days were needed to complete installation work for the treatment system. Shell to Sea called for written clarification of the proposed works, as a matter of urgency, to help solve this protracted problem.


However, by contrast on November 29th a letter by Shell’s project Manager outlined the need for up to 25 staff on site including administration and caterers, and that a further two to four weeks at least would be required.

Shell to Sea will once again facilitate this arrangement on the basis that all work relates to environmental management and not construction activity. We hold Shell directly to account for the continuing and deteriorating environmental conditions on the Bellanaboy site. We yet again call on all relevant authorities to rigorously monitor this site. For example, it has recently emerged that there is aluminium contamination on-site. How did this substance get there? What actions are being taken by statutory authorities to ensure accountability by Shell on these matters?

Recent statements from Shell and others on site access have served to distract attention from the devastating recent report by Accufacts. The soon to be published Advantica safety review must address the question how a production pipeline which could achieve pressures of 345 bar can safely be placed with 70 metres of people’s homes. Given that there is no failsafe method by which these extraordinary pressures could be avoided in certain scenarios, the only form of protection is for the pipeline to be placed at an appropriate safety distance. Accufacts recommends that this be at least 200 metres. Any other recommendation by the government’s safety body would not be credible.

For verification and/or comment contact Mark Garavan 087-9023687