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.
It is vital that the worth and extent of any oil off the Irish coast be examined with a view to exploiting the resource to the benefit of the State and its citizens.
This is the view of Fianna Fáil Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív, who was speaking following confirmation this week that full and proper use of the State’s natural resources will be a core focus of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy & Natural Resources.
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
--- Four arrested yesterday as 40 Gardaí drafted in and attempt to quash protest ---
At 9am this morning, a barrel full of concrete was moved onto the road between Shell’s Bellanaboy refinery and their new Aughoose compound, and two people including Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway, locked their arms to the barrel.
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.”
SANCTIONS OF up to €3 million and imprisonment terms of up to three years may be imposed by the independent energy regulator in a proposed new oil and gas safety system.
Oil and gas exploration companies found guilty of breaches could also lose their safety permit. This would halt production under the proposed framework published by the Commission for Energy Regulation last night.
News Release - Issued by Shell to Sea - April 12th, 2015 - For immediate release
-- Shell to Sea send submission on RTE's Public Service Statement --
Shell to Sea have today sent in a submission to RTE as part of RTE's public consultation on the updating of their Public Service Statement [1]. In the submission, Shell to Sea claimed that RTE had failed to inform the public in an honest and balanced manner on the Corrib Gas project.