Shell to Sea Update from Erris & the 'Reinstating' of Glengad.

Shell to Sea / Rossport Solidarity Camp Update from Erris Co. Mayo. November 2009.

While Glengad and Shell issues have largely gone from the public eye, and indeed things have quietened down some what, that's not to say that stuff hasn’t been going on, it just doesn’t always make the media.

The last few months have seen a few developments since the Solitaire left our shores.

* Shell have completely vacated the Glengad compound in the last few week or so. Unfortunately they haven’t done a wonderful job of cleaning up after themselves. Plenty of rubble was left behind on the beach from the causeway that they extended out to sea and then removed.

The “cliff” has been banked up with soft materials which don’t look too stable to me and will likely continue to be washed out by the rainwater. In the old compound itself large heaps of materials have been piled and netted over to prevent birds nesting? Strangely they have not attempted to net the re-banked cliff area, as they had before. Some of the old netting can be seen on the cliff top, intermeshed with the grass on top.

Their channel buoy markers have been washing ashore recently also, as they left these behind to. At the road entrance to the Glengad compound all the fencing and gates have gone (as it has around the whole site), to be replaced with regular cattle fencing and gates, having pulled out at this time of year the whole place is a bit of a mud bath.

* The road, left unfinished by Mayo County Council now Shell have pulled out, is already showing signs of deterioration, with potholes forming in the tarmac beside where the entrance gates to this compound stood. The Co.Co. have left the road as it stands from what I can see, without finishing the works, just loads of signs and bollards left around everywhere.

* Nov 10th last saw a procession along the Bellanaboy Road up to the main refinery gates, attended by about 50 local people carrying crosses with the names of the Ogoni 9, to mark the execution of Ken Sara Wiwa and 8 of his colleagues in 1995, the Nigerian activists who were executed by the Nigerian Military Dictatorship at the time, at Shell's behest.

* The Garda presence is likewise down, but still tangible.

* After a meeting some time ago with a few ministers, the silence has been loud from the powers that be, despite their recent announcement of setting up some forum or dialogue with people involved in the Corrib Gas issue. However no one here has actually heard anything or been contacted about as of yet. Minister Eamon Ryan has admitted in the media that ‘mistakes were made’ but has refused to discuss the moving of the refinery or the appropriacy of a pipeline landfall at Glengad. “There will be no re-visiting of the consents / permissions already given to Shell”, he said. As usual the terms of reference are pre-set by the ‘authorities’ in order to avoid a fair and proper addressing of the issues.

* The AFRI hedge school a few weeks ago was really fantastic with some great people coming to have an input/speak including Dennis Halliday and other people who have been dealing with Shell in other countries.

The fight goes on.

The Compund Gates where Maura held her hunger strike.

The New Cliff Face and Rubble left on Beach.

What;s left of the Causeway left to wash away or remain.

Where the trench for the pipe was carved last summer.