Shell attempt to create illusion of local benefits with announcement of 5 mil. in local contracts

mayo | environment | news report Tuesday August 22, 2006 23:06 by EC - rossport solidarity camp/ shell to sea rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com

In a bit to create the illusion of local benefits Shell have announed that they are “seeking expressions of interest” from local businesses to tender for services and work required at the Bellanaboy refinery site to the value of five million euro.

Shell's double page spread in the Mayo Echo today

In their latest attempt to contrive the semblance of local benefits from the Corrib project Shell announced yesterday that they are “seeking expressions of interest” from local businesses to tender for services and work required at the Bellanaboy refinery site to the value of five million euro. Today’s local papers the Mayo Echo and Connacht Telegraph carried a double page spread of Shell notices advertising “tender opportunities” for sub-contracts for site establishment of project offices, fencing, concrete works, site maintenance, road sweepers and supply of fuel oils.

Given the development cost of the project which is approximately 1,000 million euro, the value of the Corrib gas reserve which is in excess of 10 billion euro, and the enormous profits of Shell and their partners, the sourcing of 5 million euro among local businesses can be seen as mere tokens and designed only to create the illusion of local benefits.

In an interview with Midwest radio station yesterday Terry Nolan, Deputy Managing Director of SEPIL claimed that Shell have a “commitment” to delivering “tangible economic benefits” to the area. However when pressed by Liam McNally of Midwest on the unresolved issues raised by Shell to Sea and how the ongoing picket would be addressed Mr Nolan succeeded in avoided the question.

Shell has announced that it intends to recommence works at the site of its proposed refinery at Bellanaboy this September. Work is scheduled to begin with the “upgrade and expansion” of Axonics water treatment systems. The proposed refinery site at Bellanaboy has been picketed for over thirteen months by local campaigners who have succeeded in stopping all work at the site since the Rossport five were imprisoned at the end of June 2005. Shell’s subcontractors have so far only succeeded in limited preparatory peat removal from the site. Residents and campaigners from the Shell to Sea campaign vow to prevent Shell from building at the site for which they do not have the consent of the local community.

Shell has still not announced the new route of the upstream section of pipeline, which they announced would be rerouted in the wake of the Cassells report. Mr. Nolan commented on Midwest yesterday that the route would be subject to “consultation with the local community.” Shell’s decision to move forward with work on the Bellanaboy site gives the lie to their claims to operate with consent and agreement. The decision to begin work at the gas processing plant pre-judges the pipeline issue and presents the local community once again with a fait accompli.

Shell seeking "expressions of interest" for local subcontracts