"The Government have clearly sent the message to Shell, ‘you can do whatever you want’. Fortunately due to protest, the refinery remains unconnected to the gas field. If, as Shell planned, gas had been flowing by now, we would potentially all be dealing with a gas leak and explosion.”
News Release: Earthquakes, Landslides, Subsidence; Shell to Sea calls for immediate halt to Corrib Project.
Press Release - Issued by Mayo Shell to Sea - June 11th, 2012
Shell to Sea calls for an immediate cessation to the Corrib Project following the first major earthquake of the west coast.
Commenting in the wake of the earthquake close to the Corrib wellhead, Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington stated "Shell's proposed Corrib Project is made up as follows; the wellhead is in an earthquake zone; the landfall is in a landslide zone; the refinery is in a bog which may be subsiding".
She went on to state "This is a vindication of the many people who have been, and continue to be criminalised by the police and the courts through refusal to accept the concept of reasonable excuse which underpins the right to peaceful protest".
Spokesperson Terence Conway whose convictions at the Special Court sittings in Belmullet are currently under appeal stated "I do not believe that Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications and Natural Resources has the integrity or the courage to call Shell to account, so resistance to this treasonable and dangerous project will continue".
ENDS
For more information contact:
Terence Conway:
Maura Harrington:
http://www.shelltosea.com
http://www.facebook.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/
The Shell to Sea Campaign has three main aims:
1) That any exploitation of the Corrib gas field be done in a safe way that will not expose the local community in Erris to unnecessary health, safety and environmental risks.
2) To renegotiate the terms of the Great Oil and Gas Giveaway, which sees Ireland’s 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent* off the West Coast go directly to the oil companies, with the Irish State retaining a 0% share, no energy security of supply and only 25% tax on profits against which all costs can be deducted.
3) To seek justice for the human rights abuses suffered by Shell to Sea campaigners due to their opposition to Shell’s proposed inland refinery.
*This figure is based on the estimate, issued by the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) in 2006, that the amount of recoverable oil and gas in the Rockall and Porcupine basins, off Ireland’s west coast, is 10 BBOE (billion barrels of oil equivalent). Based on the average price of a barrel of oil for 2010 of $79, this works out at $790 billion, or €580 billion. This does not take account of further oil and gas reserves off Ireland’s south & east coasts or inland. The total volume of oil and gas which rightfully belongs to Ireland could be significantly higher. Also, as the global price of oil rises in the coming years, the value of these Irish natural resources will rise further.