August 2011

A new prison van, 40 new guards drafted in, and reckless policing of tractor movements

On Tuesday 2nd August Shell's work was halted for most of the day, only two tractors getting into the Aughoose compound by 3.30pm. There was a heavily increased garda presence with up to 40 guards being drafted in from Roscommon and elsewhere, and four arrests were made.

Oil company Shell could be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars after accepting responsibility for two devastating oil spills in Nigeria's Ogoniland region.

The agreement comes after the community in the Delta region of Nigeria brought a class-action lawsuit against Shell in the UK, alleging that spills in 2008 and 2009 had destroyed the environment and ruined their livelihoods.

Shell says 159 truck movements a day...but manage a measly 40 in a week

This week saw Shell begin the next stage of their gas project by attempting to extend and secure their compound in Aughoose in preparation to lay the onshore section of the pipeline. This entailed tractors delivering fencing, machinery and other things for them to carry out the work. If all had gone to plan would have had the compound near completion now. However, there was five days of 12 hour blockades which has slowed them down tremendously. Here's a quick round up of the events of last week...

Rolling blockade leading to Shell tractor reversing back into refinery

Shell to Sea says every effort was made to co-operate with ‘aggressive, confrontational’ commission

Shell to Sea has reacted angrily to claims that it did not co-operate with the ‘rape tape’ investigation. The organisation was responding to the Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commision (GSOC) interim report on the controversy at Corrib, which was released last week.
Speaking to The Mayo News Shell to Sea spokesperson Caoimhe Kerins said she is very disappointed that both the Minister for Justice and the GSOC seem to be trying to minimise and downplay what the gardaí did in ‘a case of a sexual-violence nature’.
“I’ve lost any respect I had for the Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commision. They treated us in an aggressive, confrontational manner. The protesters were treated as if they were the perpetrators as opposed to the victims.”