Shell contractor quarry shut down by campaigners in Mayo

For Immediate Release-Issued by Shell to Sea-Tuesday, August 31^st, 12.30pm

Shell contractor quarry shut down by campaigners in Mayo

This morning at 8am fifteen Shell to Sea campaigners entered Barrett's quarry in Bangor and are currently occupying vehicles stopping all work on the site. Work vehicles arriving at the site are being turned away and are being told that work has been suspended for the day.Unoccupied vehicles have been driven off site and left idle in Bangor. Barrett's are the main contractor supplying hardcore to Shell's onshore pipeline construction compound at Aughoose.

Nearby Lennon's Quarry also supply material to the site and have also had many of their vehicles occupied in recent weeks. Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway said today: "Both businesses will continue to be a target of the campaign until they end all work at Shell sites.''

Shell have announced their intention to begin peat removal shortly despite the An Taisce judicial review of the An Bord Pleanála decision to grant permission for the onshore pipeline. The case is scheduled to be heard on the 4th of October.

Shell to Sea will continue to resist Shell's Corrib project on health & safety, environmental and economic grounds.

The debate over the managment of our natural resources spilled onto the airwaves yesterday in a debate on the Matt Cooper show on Today FM between Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole and minister for Communications Energy and natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte.

During the debate Fintan O'Toole reminded listeners that, speaking at a panel discussion in Dublin last December, Brian O’Cathain, who was Managing Director of Enterprise Energy Ireland when that company was the developer of the Corrib project, predicted that the project "will never pay tax".

Shell to Sea has taken this action today in solidarity those resisting the Tar Sands project in North America, in which Shell is a major stakeholder.There have been 595 arrests so far during a daily series of peaceful protests at the white house in Washington DC between August 20th and September 3rd against the Tar Sands Oil Pipeline.

ENDS
 

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.