Mission Accomplished: Shell takeover of Ireland now complete
--- Delays should not be given to facilitate the developer ---
Shell E&P Ireland have made a request to An Bord Pleanála for further time to rectify fundamental safety issues with the Corrib gas pipeline, but Shell to Sea campaigners have called on the board to reject this request, and to also reject the application outright. This follows on from November's letter from the board to Shell, which stated that the current application "does not present a complete, transparent and adequate demonstration" that the high pressure pipeline "does not pose an unacceptable risk to the public"[1].
In their letter of November 2, An Bord Pleanála invited Shell to submit further information, imposing a deadline of February 5 for this to take place. The company are now seeking to have this extended.
Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway said: “Given that An Bord Pleanála has already ruled that there would be an unacceptable risk to people's safety posed by the proposed pipeline, this application should be thrown out. It is not the board's job to facilitate Shell in 'fixing' a fundamentally flawed project. If the board further assist Shell yet again in providing further time, their integrity as a neutral body in this process is open to question.”
He continued: “For example, there is currently 90 metres of onshore pipeline laid with no planning permission at Glengad, which Shell lumped in with their offshore pipeline. The board enabled this illegal development to take place by their inaction when the matter was brought to their attention at the beginning of May's oral hearing. They have since acknowledged that this work did not have the proper authorisations, in November's letter to Shell.”
“We are calling on An Bord Pleanála to reassert themselves in this matter, to turn down this unwarranted delay, and to turn down this unsafe and unwanted pipeline outright.”
ENDS
For verification or further comment, please contact:
Terence Conway
Maura Harrington
Notes for Editors
[1] 'Part of Corrib pipeline 'unsafe' http://www.irishtimes.com/
[2] 'The Corrib Gas Ruling' http://www.shelltosea.com/