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 Sunday July 03, 2005 14:56 by Terry - Shell to Sea info at shelltosea dot com
 Refinery Construction Site Picketed; Fishermen Prepare To Blockade 'Things'; Roadside Vigil A Win
“What we intend to do on Monday, if they do not open, is picket from 6.30 p.m. to let them know that we will not be backing down. We are choosing that time for people who will be at their jobs during the day. If work resumes at the site we will start picketing at 11 a.m. The purpose of the picket is to persuade employees working at the building of the refinery to halt work, as some have done, and to show that we are not forgetting the five innocent men in Cloverhill prison.”: P.J. Moran, Ballinaboy Resident. “WORK CONTINUES AS NORMAL AT THE COMPANY'S SITES IN MAYO” So reads the Shell press release of Friday July 1st. At the refinery site at Ballinaboy everything, mostly signs and flagmen huts, that was on the ‘oil road’ outside the site was cleared away by Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim by 3.15pm on Friday, and inside machinery had stopped work by 3.30pm. This morning in Rossport the truck illegally carrying pipes to the Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim compound, which had been halted on the roadside since Tuesday the 21st of June, was removed after negotiations, and with that so ended a 12 day, 24 hours a day, roadside vigil, which highlighted the inadequacies of the developers traffic management plan, or rather its virtual non-existence. The truck left without entering the compound.
There were only security guards present in the compound this morning (Sat 2nd July) and no construction workers, it is very quiet, with the amusing addition of a massive number of ‘Keep Out’ signs. Take notice that there is a right of way through the compound. The photos below were taken from within it.
“We want any one who can help the Rossport 5 through legal representation, aid, advice or practical assistance to get in touch via email or a single number. Hopefully this will help to provide a direct point of contact into the heart of the Rossport residents requiring practical assistance. PLEASE ENSURE IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT AN INFORMATION HOTLINE - IT IS PRIMARILY FOR ANYONE WHO CAN PRACTICALLY ASSIST THE ROSSPORT 5 OR OUR SAFETY CONCERNS RELATING TO THE PIPELINE.”
- Alan McGrath, Rossport resident and nephew of Philip and Vincent McGrath (two of those in prison).
That contact is: freetherossportfive@eircom.net 087 7747885
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Comments (18 of 18)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18There is a traditional right of way through the compound - now accepted by the developers with a little marked off path, this goes down to a well.
We were followed at every move - but it is a right of way so tough luck!
There is actually very little machinery in the compound, which mostly consists of pre-fab offices.
Some of the pipes that made it through - these are possibly for the waste to be pumped into Broadhaven
Seems to be the start of the access road they want to build adjoining the pipeline
Shell pipeline compensation package totalled €190,000
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=6157-qqqx=1.asp
03 July 2005 By Paul T Colgan
The 28 landowners who consented to the Shell Corrib gas pipeline passing through their land were given a compensation package understood to total €190,000.
Six other landowners are objecting to the nine-kilometre pipeline. Work on the pipeline stopped last week after five of the landowners obstructed Shell access to their land. The five were imprisoned for breaching a court order which allowed Shell to commence operations.
The €900 million pipeline, when finished, will carry untreated gas from under the Atlantic off the Mayo coast to a refinery inland at Bellanaboy. Residents have claimed that the pipeline will operate at up to 345 bars of pressure, compared to 16 bars of pressure in pipelines in built-up areas.
[....]
Three of the five men imprisoned last Wednesday agreed in the High Court last Friday not to obstruct the road to the gas terminal, but would not admit that they had blocked it.
The landowners - brothers Philip and Vincent McGrath, and Willie Corduff were sent to prison along with James Philbin and Micheal O'Seighin - for contempt of court. Attempts to secure the men's release failed last Friday and the five will be in court again on Wednesday.
The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Finnegan, said the men could purge their contempt on Wednesday but, if they failed to do so, they would remain in prison for a very long time. The protesters insist their resistance to Shell's plans is motivated by health and safety concerns.
The men won the backing of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association last Friday.
Jailed protesters ‘determined to keep up fight’
02/07/05
http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgOy8GOyZF1dEsg7IQHSmeYhNE.asp
By Harry McGee, Political Editor
THE five men jailed over protests against the Shell gas drilling operation in Mayo remain determined to continue their protest, said a TD who visited them in jail yesterday.
Jerry Cowley was one of five TDs who visited the men in Clover Hill prison, where they have been held since Wednesday. The independent deputy from Mayo said the men were "absolutely determined" to stick with the protest, and were not willing to purge their contempt.
[...]
r Cowley visited the men along with Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, Tommy Broughan of the Labour Party and independent deputies Finian McGrath and James Breen.
Up to 1,000 people from all over north Mayo have protested in Castlebar over the ongoing detention of five men who denied Shell employees access to their lands.
It is the latest in a series of protests over the imprisonment of the men who are objecting to the laying of the high-pressure pipeline across their land.
Members of the men's families and a number of local TDs also took part in the protest.
Advertisement
This afternoon's rally was organised by Independent Mayo TD, Dr Jerry Cowley.
He said the 'mood of abhorrence' at the jailing of the five men was growing nationwide and Shell must compromise on its plan for the pipeline and the onshore terminal, on health and safety grounds.
Shell Ireland has denied that the pipeline presents a hazard to the north Mayo area and has said it has no intention of suspending its work on the Corrib gas project, or of withdrawing from Mayo.
The men are due back in the High Court again on Wednesday when an attempt will be made to have them released from prison.
Five TDs have visited the men at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin, where they were sent on Wednesday.
The men told the TDs there was no question of them abandoning their opposition to the pipeline being laid on their land.
these regular bulletins from Terry provide a continuity of information and of dependability which is invaluable.
Just to clarify the resolution of the truck standoff. Roadbridge/Shell workers again demanded yesterday (saturday) morning they move the vehicle and its load into the compound. After a few short minutes of unhelpful dialogue, the owner of the vehicle was taken aside by the residents, and the situation was solved. All vehicles were reversed back through the village, the truck was driven to the compound, turned at the t-junction, and left in its original condition; all supervised by the Gardai who were quietly called to the scene. Willie Corduff's van was driven back to his house (in his enforced absence) by the Guards, and the truck did not enter the compound or drop its load. Shell/Roadbridge did not partake in the actions, seemingly confused and unaware of developments, opening the gates which were not used. The road is now clear again into Rossport South, but the lack of effective traffic management remains unsolved, and the problems of the last few weeks will probably recur on the next transport of heavy goods.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/315954.html
1,500 at rally to support jailed protesters
Families of the five imprisoned north Mayo men have called for the resignation of Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey and his predecessors in marine, Dermot Ahern and Frank Fahey.
The demand was made at a rally attended by more than 1,500 people in Castlebar, Co Mayo, yesterday in support of the five men, who were jailed indefinitely last week for contempt of court over their opposition to Shell's Corrib gas field pipeline.
Several engineering and physics experts who addressed the rally, including Dr Werner Blau, professor of physics at Trinity College, Dublin, said the fears of the men and their families in Rossport were justified, given the fatality record in relation to high-pressure pipelines.
In a statement issued by the families of the five men in Cloverhill Prison, Ms Brid McGarry, who is also a Rossport landowner, called for a halt to all "illegal" development at Rossport, a cessation of all operations by Shell onshore and offshore pending a full hearing of the issues, and a direction to the company to clean gas and hydrocarbons offshore "as recommended by Kevin Moore, senior inspector with An Bord Pleanála" in 2003.
The families also called for a renegotiation of the entire State deal with oil and gas exploration companies under the 1992 Finance Act, and appealed to people to lobby their TDs and councillors to seek a "vindication of the Rossport five".
Mary Corduff, wife of one of the men, Willie Corduff, accused Shell of trying to "divide and conquer and split neighbours and friends". Chris Philbin, son of Brendan Philbin, said that responsibility lay not only with Shell but with the Government and with "Mayo County Council, where it all started".
Maura Harrington, campaigner for the Erris residents, said that last Wednesday's jailing of the five men represented a "Rubicon". The council for the West did not speak for the men or their families when it facilitated a meeting in Leinster House last week with Shell, she said. The council was "trying to help Shell take the hard edges off a PR disaster", she said.
Prof Werner Blau, professor of physics at Trinity College Dublin and part-time Rossport resident, appealed to Shell's shareholders to remind the company of its corporate social responsibilities. He had examined the technical data, and the proximity of the pipeline to houses wouldn't even comply with US standards, which were "pretty lax", he said. The US Office of Pipeline Safety has recorded 1,586 incidents including 61 fatalities, 235 injuries and over $408 million of damage from 1986 to 2004, Prof Blau said.
Galway-based engineer Brian Coyle said it was well known that pipelines failed, and if this pipeline was laid along its current route "people will die".
Mayo TDs Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind), who organised the rally, and Michael Ring (FG) reiterated their call on the Minister for the Marine to insist that Shell build its gas terminal at sea. Several speakers called for a boycott of both Shell and Statoil products.
Mayo TD Beverley Flynn (Ind) and several Fianna Fail councillors attended, but did not address the rally. Further protests are due to be held today at the Shell terminal site at Bellanaboy and at the offices of Minister of State Frank Fahey in Galway.
In a statement yesterday , Shell E&P Ireland Limited said that it remained available for talks.
Lorna Siggins
© The Irish Times
3. Corrib threat to Shell sell-off
SHELL'S plan to sell 50 petrol stations in Ireland could be stalled by protesters in Co Mayo.
Five men jailed last Wednesday for blocking the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline across their land have called for solidarity pickets at all Shell Ireland and Statoil garages.
The multinational company has admitted that a national boycott would threaten its plans for a quick sale. Protests are planned for tomorrow with hundreds expected to travel to Castlebar, Co Mayo, where the families of the jailed men ” dubbed the Rossport Five” will address the crowds.
The protest will be an act of support for those men, said Jerry Cowley, the Mayo TD. if the pipeline was planned for my land, I would be in jail with them as well. Boycotting Shell products is another way people can voice their anger over what has happened.
Shell announced two weeks ago that it was in talks to sell the 50 forecourts it owns in Ireland and a further 160 it services, saying it hoped to make a decision in the coming weeks.
Any sustained boycott could damage the Shell brand in Ireland, having a knock-on effect on the value of its Irish assets, analysts said.
"It would be a very disappointing development indeed (a boycott) and would not be good news for the sale process, which is ongoing," said a Shell spokesman.
"It should be remembered that the majority of garages with the Shell logo are owned independently. Actions like these would threaten businesses and discomfit drivers."
The jailing of the men for refusing to end their protest has galvanised local opposition to the pipeline in Erris, a picturesque part of north Mayo. An attempt to secure their release will be made in the High Court this Wednesday.
Three of the five, Willie Corduff, and brothers Philip and Vincent McGrath, were brought to the High Court last Friday in relation to a separate injunction preventing them from obstructing a road leading to the gas terminal.
Contempt proceedings were dismissed after the men gave assurances that they would abide by the court ruling.
The other two are James Philbin and Micheal O'Seighin.
Cowley, who visited the men in Cloverhill prison, Clondalkin, on Friday, said: "These men are determined to stick to their protest: people in New Mexico died in an explosion from a gas pipeline. These five are expected to live within 70 metres of such a pipeline. Can you blame them for their determination to put a stop to this?"
Shell wants to pump gas from the Corrib field off the coast of Mayo along a nine kilometre pipeline to a refinery at Bellanaboy. The objectors want the terminal to be located offshore but Shell says rough sea conditions make that too dangerous and costly.
The oil giant said it has no intention of stopping its operations on the 900m project or withdrawing from Mayo.
The company said it would be available for constructive dialogue with the five Erris residents in prison, but campaigners claimed Shell has so far refused to hold any public debate on the matter.
Ed Moran, a local campaigner, said: "There have been many calls for boycotts and protests. There is enormous support for these men who have been jailed because they have come across as sincere men who have been put in the most invidious position. "
"Shell believed they had this one in the bag. They were shown the red carpet by the local authorities but there was no way that people who were expected to live with this pipeline could sit back and do nothing. We will carry on supporting this campaign for as long as we have to."
As the number of protesters swelled to 500 last week, some workers were told not to report to work until Tuesday.
There was no threat to our safety but the foreman told us it would be better to go while we could, in case the crowd decided to block the road and we would not have been able to drive out, said one worker.
Locals have now organised shifts to picket the narrow road into Rossport, the site the pipes have to cross on their way to Bellanaboy.
A contractoros lorry surrounded by parked cars and vans has been sinking into the bog beside the road for the past three weeks.
Douglas Dalby and Siobhan Maguire
© Sunday Times
"Locals have now organised shifts to picket the narrow road into Rossport, the site the pipes have to cross on their way to Bellanaboy. "
- the picket is actually currently at Bellanaboy not Rossport (Terry)
For immediate release, Monday, July 4
SF TDs Lobby Norwegian Embassy on Behalf of Rossport 5
The five Sinn Féin TDs this morning handed a letter to the Norwegain Ambassor, His Excellency Mr Truls Hanevold, requesting the Norwegian Government instruct its state company Statoil to use its influence with its partner in the Corrib Gas development, Shell, to have the injunctions against the Mayo protestors lifted. The TDs are also asking that Statoil cease all work on the pipeline pending a full inquiry into al aspects of the project.
(Text of letter) :
A Chara,
We, the undersigned, Sinn Féin TDs, respectfully request that the Norwegian Government instruct Statoil to use its influence with it’s partner in the Corrib consortium, Shell, to lift all court actions against the protesters in Mayo.
We also request that Statoil instruct the consortium to cease all work on the pipeline pending a full enquiry into all aspects of the project.
Finally, we would respectfully draw the Norwegian Government and people’s attention to the fact that Statoil is part of a development that would not be acceptable in Norway itself on environmental and safety grounds, and that Statoil is benefiting from revenue and licensing terms that would not be permitted under Norway’s own regulatory system.
Is muidne,
Caoimghin O Caolain
Aengus O Snodaigh
Martin Ferris
Arthur Morgan
Sean Crowe
From 10 a.m. today, 250 people out picketing two entrances to Ballinaboy, two entrances effectivly blocked (there are four), a Garda inspector out from Bellmullet was looking for leaders and looking to negiotiate, was told there are none, before he went in to talk to Shell he said the squad car would leave as there is no need for it, however it is still there, he also said a top boy from Shell is on his way. Trucks are stuck inside the refinery construction site not passing the pickets. People are planning on staying all day and spirits are good.
What a turn around - I think shell probably feel almost as much regret as Bono at their respective ill chosen court battles!!
Don't forget Dublin shelltosea meeting tomorrow 8pm and the one in Clare tonight
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70535
krossie
Where is the labour Party in the fight against Shell and the imprisoning of locals who object to a multinational being allowed exemption from health and safety legislation? Is this the Mullingar strategy? or is it the Geldof 'don't mention Iraq and dont say anything to upset or insult Mr Bush and Mr Blair' ploy?
Get them charged
Write to Commissioner Noel Conroy and report the crime of Gas theft by Shell with their criminal accomplice Ray Burke.
Ray Burke stole my gas and sold it to Shell in 1992.
At the time this criminal was a minister for energy.
He went against the advice of his department heads and held a meeting alone with Shell where burke sold my oil for a brown envelope.
After this meeting and before he got the brown envelope from shell he criminally changed the licensing terms for offshore oilo and gas exploration in Shells favour.
Some of the money has been found by the Flood Tribunal.
Know associates of Burke who also had a hand in criminall helping Shell are Mollloy, Ahern+2, Woods,Andrews,Coveney,Barret,Fahey and most recently Dempsey.
A criminal investigation must be launched immediatly.
Write to the commissioner and request that he do so.
A. Citizen
At conservative estimates, this field may be worth over THREE BILLION EURO
that's about a grand for every man woman and child in the 26 counties, and of course the boost it would have given to the economy in terms of jobs and
It was given away for what? - a few brown envelopes in the tent at the Galway races?
It's theft on a huge scale.
Until the monkeys that we have as an electorate vote for real change!
Brainwashed education to make us the fools!
Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent
A review of safety aspects of the proposed Shell Corrib gas pipeline commissioned by Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey was written by a company which numbers Shell among its clients.
AEA Technology Ltd, which conducted the review published yesterday by Mr Dempsey, lists four Shell companies including Shell International on its recent client list.
The review is the second of safety aspects of the onshore pipeline and was ordered by the Minister after it emerged that the last report was written by British Pipeline Agency (BPA), a company owned jointly by Shell UK and British Petroleum.
The Minister instructed officials to order a further review when this "potential conflict of interest" was drawn to his attention by Shell E&P Ireland, but published the BPA report anyway and maintained in the Dáil last week that it was none the less independent.
AEA Technology Ltd is listed as one of the world's largest engineering consultancies, with offices in Britain and the Middle East. It confirmed to The Irish Times yesterday that one of its divisions compiled the report for the Minister's department last month.
The department told The Irish Times last night it had asked tendering companies to disclose whether they had carried out any work on the Corrib project, and whether the partners (Shell, Statoil and Marathon) had any ownership interests in their firm.
"AEA Technology clearly expressed to the department that no conflict of interest whatsoever existed for them in conducting this project," said the department, adding that, given the limited size of the exploration sector in Europe, it was "inevitable than any consultancy firm will have performed tasks for most if not all of the large multinationals".
In the Dáil last week, the Minister said the new review assessed the risk to the public from the operation of the onshore section of the Corrib gas pipeline, and it conformed to international criteria. The review's publication on his department's website is a prelude to the probable issuing of full consent for installation and commissioning of the pipeline.
A spokeswoman for the Minister could not say when the consents would be issued, but it is expected that they are imminent. "No decision has been made and none will be made until the matter has been fully considered by the Minister," the spokeswoman said.
Mention is to be made in the High Court today of an application to have five protesters released on the basis that the full consents for the pipeline had not yet been issued. The application was made by Greg Casey, solicitor, in the light of last week's statement by the Minister, but it is not expected to be heard today.
Mr Casey does not represent the five jailed men, but represents two people who are parties to the injunction granted to Shell and are not in custody. Mr Pádraic Ferry of Ferry Solicitors, who has been engaged by the five men with barristers John Rogers SC and Peter Bland, said no court application had been lodged by him on the men's behalf.
The AEA review was welcomed by Shell E&P Ireland as endorsing its own risk report or quantified risk assessment.The company reiterated that the €900 million Corrib gas project had been subject to "exhaustive public scrutiny over the course of the last number of years".
© The Irish Times
As a Norwegian I am ashamed and discusted by what Statoil and Shell are doing to Rossport and Ireland. You got my sympathi for the objection you are making. Keep on fighting! Please realise that evrybody in Norway doesent support theese companies.This issue is quite forgotten in the Norwegian media. I will try my best to raise some awarenes about your struggle.
Fight on!
Terry Torsteinsen