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Shell begin removing illegal drilling work
mayo |
environment |
news report
Thursday February 21, 2008 08:48 by Rudiger
![Report this post to the editors Report this post to the editors](../graphics/report.gif)
Yesterday Shell began the restoration work ordered by the Dept of the Environment on Glengad SAC. Will they restore the further damage they caused yesterday?
![Click on image to see full-sized version Heavy Machinery on the SAC](../cache/imagecache/local/attachments/feb2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_restore1.jpg) Heavy Machinery on the SAC Finally, almost 4 months after they carried out their illegal drilling on the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) at Glengad, Shell and their pipeline consultants RPS have started carrying out the restoration work that was ordered by the Department of the Environment. This work involves removing the boreholes which includes concrete and piping from the 2 locations which were drilled between the 18 & 23 of October last year. However it has to be said that even as the forced restoration work is being carried out, Shell & Co are still showing totally disregard to the sensitivity of the area. While carrying out the work Shell brought down numerous heavy vehicles to the area of the first borehole even though it was obvious that some of these vehicles are not needed in the actual restoration of the SAC. Minister Gormley has stated previously that he was ordering the company to restore the area to its “original condition” under Article 19 of the habitats regulations, however bringing down trucks, diggers, vans, tractor & trailers, jeeps, a security hut and a bus is surely not helping to reverse damage already done on an SAC.
For the past few months members of Shell to Sea have been trying in vain to find out when the restoration work was going to be carried as it is believed that Shell and RPS were taking readings from the illegal boreholes. However a member of Shell to Sea was told over the phone by a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) representative that the delay was because it took this long to do up a plan of how the restoration work was to be carried out and that Shell weren’t to blame for the delay. When NPWS were asked if they were going to be supervising the work being carried out properly they stated that they had “every faith” that Shell would carry out the work properly. Initially NPWS also claimed that the restoration work was being overseen by an independent ecologist however given that that ecologist does work for Shell (and also worked for the NPWS) her independence must be questioned.
The NPWS representative also stated that “matting” was supposed to be placed on the ground to prevent damage to the SAC from the required vehicles, however no matting was visible and some of the land and the road on the SAC we churned up considerably by all the heavy vehicles.
As is becoming the norm now the Gardaí arrived in Glengad along with the Shell workers and were down on the SAC while the restoration work was being carried out. This in spite of the fact that members of Shell to Sea have for months being calling for this work to be carried out as quickly as possible and would hardly then go and try and disrupt it. The line between the Gardaí and Shell security workers is dulling even further lately, as it is now even harder to tell them apart in either job description, dialogue or clothing.
Finally while I have a lot of respect for the good works that NPWS carry out all over the country, their conduct so far with regard to dealing Shell and the Glenamoy Bog Complex SAC hasn’t instilled great confidence in the people of the area. Last year the NPWS wrote a report on the damage that the Rossport Solidarity Camp was causing to Glengad SAC and stated that it could take “10 to 15 years” to recover; when now countless vehicles are driving along on the SAC you begin to ask questions. Having visited the site of the solidarity camp yesterday, it is clear no major impact has been left on the area where the camp stood only months ago. Currently NPWS are bringing 2 Mayo farmers to court for grazing sheep on a Specially Protected Area (SPA) yet on the other hand they seem to have “every faith” in a multinational that has an almost unparalleled history of damaging the environments in which they operate. [http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&tas...id=38]
![Click on image to see full-sized version restore2.jpg](../cache/imagecache/local/attachments/feb2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_restore2.jpg)
![Click on image to see full-sized version restore3.jpg](../cache/imagecache/local/attachments/feb2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_restore3.jpg)
![Click on image to see full-sized version Damage on the SAC](../cache/imagecache/local/attachments/feb2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_restore4.jpg) Damage on the SAC
![Click on image to see full-sized version More damage on the SAC](../cache/imagecache/local/attachments/feb2008/460_0___30_0_0_0_0_0_restore5.jpg) More damage on the SAC
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Comments (9 of 9)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Great article Rudiger.
"Faith", dictionary definition: "belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof".
Is this what we expect from the people charged with protecting our wildlife and environmentally sesitive areas. When will they catch up with The Enlightenment and start using their reason?
High time for Shell to remove their presence entirely from Erris & refine the gas at sea.
"Restoration" works carried out during February 08
survey works last week
equipment hauled onto SAC
traffic damage
work base erected within SAC
more traffic damage
5 more
vehicles arrive yesterday morning
traffic entering SAC from different directions
Gardai make a big splash
some damage up close
machinery parked on unprotected green area
another 5
messy roadway
suspected toilet waste
waste up close
working by the sea
heavy machinery with steel tracks on the SAC
I have heard it from a very reliable source that a new route has been agreed upon by SEPIL and RPS - and I don't even live in the country anymore. Interesting to see that this has yet to make it onto the S2S blog. Where do S2S get their information from (or not)? Seems like S2S don't have their finger on the pulse anymore.
I think all your photos and arguements above are now purely academic. The terminal is flying ahead (I was also emailed an interesting newspaper article recently about it), the offshore work is ready and waiting and it looks as if this new pipeline route is now only a formality. It will be interesting to see S2S' next step. Better start gathering your troops, you're not going to like what's coming next!
Tell us then EE, what's the new pipeline route? (& do you think Shell should be allowed to work in a conservation area given their obvious disregard for the environment?)
EE is no doubt correct, the "new" route has already been agreed by Shell and RPS... but not by the community.
You do yourself no favours by posting shite like this.
You know the agreement was for no tracked vehicles on the SAC.
Either defend their use rationally or piss off back under the stone where you live.