A consortium of multinationals, Shell, Statoil and Marathon, supported by
the Irish State, is proposing to build a dangerous, experimental raw gas
pipeline and refinery in northwest Ireland. But they are being stopped...
* Health and safety
The pipeline, at five times the usual pressure, would be built over unstable
bogland, with a history of landslides and in very close proximity to
people’s homes. It would be 70m from the nearest home, 30m from a public
road and three families would have to cross over the pipeline every day to
leave their houses.
A recent, independent safety analysis by US-based pipeline consultants,
Accufacts, found: “The Corrib pipeline is not a ‘normal’ pipeline, given its
potential to operate under exotically high pressures and because of unknown
gas compositions associated with gas field production. This can seriously
increase the likelihood of pipeline failure.”
The Accufacts safety analysis states that: “pipeline routing should be at
least 200 metres away from dwellings and 400 metres away from unsheltered
individuals to avoid massive casualties and/or multiple fatalities.”
* Environment
The refinery will be a large combustion plant, with nine chimneys, some
140ft high, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. 16 houses are within a 2km
radius of the plant. Air and water emissions from the refinery would pollute
the local environment.
Carrowmore Lake is the source of the regional water supply, and will be on
the receiving end of emissions from the proposed refinery at Ballinaboy.
Broadhaven bay is where Shell plans to pump the waste from the refinery:
including lead, nickel, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, arsenic, and
mercury. This bay provides livelihoods for local communities through
fishing.
Shell claims there is “no evidence that Broadhaven Bay is of particular
importance to whales and dolphins", contrary to the findings of a UCC study
(commissioned by Shell). The UCC research team recorded over 220 sightings
of seven whale and dolphin species, plus sightings of two seal species in
Broadhaven Bay and north-west Mayo waters.
* The great gas giveaway
The Irish state has facilitated Shell in this project. In 1975 for oil and
gas exploitation in Ireland the terms were between 8% to 16% production
royalties to the state and a 50% tax rate. In addition there could be an up
to 50% state participation in the exploitation of any find, as the
establishment of a state energy company was planned. Moreover gas was sold
to state companies at a reduced bulk discount.
Successive governments between 1985 and 1992 whittled this away to a
situation where there are no royalties, no state participation, and a 25%
tax rate. Furthermore there is a 100% tax write-off meaning multi-nationals
can count their production, development and exploration costs as ‘tax’ and
hence pay less tax, or even conceivably no tax.
Laws were changed to allow Shell to use private land through a Compulsory
Acquisition Order. State-owned forestry was sold to Shell for the refinery
site.
Essentially this is a great gas giveaway, while underfunded public services
go down the tube. The privatisation of natural resources is no aberration,
when the same is planned for An Post, Dublin Bus and Irish Rail, with
inevitable impacts on jobs and services; indeed, the downgrading of the
public health service is to the advantage of the private sector. Big
business enjoys very low tax rates and the super-rich benefit from tax evasion
amnesties, while more than 85% of income tax is paid by PAYE workers.
RESISTANCE
Since June 2005, Shell has been forced to suspend work on the
project, due to direct action taken by the local people and the Rossport
Solidarity Camp. Construction sites at Bellanaboy and Rossport have been
successfully picketed by the local community every day since June 2005.
At Shell’s behest, five local men, who became known as The Rossport Five,
spent 94 days in jail for breaking a High Court injunction when they denied
Shell access to their and their neighbours’ farmlands to lay the pipe.
Fishermen threatened to blockade one of the world’s largest pipe-laying
ships, the Solitaire, if it attempted to lay the offshore section of the
pipeline. Rallies, protests and pickets took place across Ireland and
overseas. Public pressure forced Shell to request the lifting of the
injunction and the Rossport Five were released at the end of September.
THE STRUGGLE AHEAD
However, Shell plans to start work again in 2006. This project cannot
be allowed to go ahead. So come and add your passion, ingenuity and
imagination to a diverse collective effort, which has defeated Shell and the
state thus far and with you, can continue to do so.
This is a major opportunity to defeat a highly dangerous project, and the
struggle thus far has already been an inspiration to many people all over
Ireland. Victory will have a significant radicalising effect, not just on a
remote corner of Mayo, but across the island.
What is happening in Rossport is one front in the struggle against the
subordination of our lives in the interests of big business and private
profit: a victory here will be a step further on the road to victory
everywhere.
The aim of the camp is to lend practical support to the local community’s
struggle and to provide a base for protestors who are not from the area.
We can win, we will win, but we need you.
ROSSPORT SOLIDARITY CAMP
The Rossport Solidarity Camp was set up in June 2005 on the route of the
proposed pipeline. The function of the camp is to stop Shell: it is not a
place to just hang out. The camp is great fun and is a source of new
friendships, but it also involves a lot of commitment and hard work.
As well as joining the local community in effective blockades and pickets,
we also organised gatherings at the camp with talks and actions, music and
street theatre.
The camp is organised non-hierarchically with regular meetings where
everyone is treated as equal, regardless of gender, age or experience.
People from all walks of life are welcome: no camping experience necessary!
To ensure the smooth running of the camp, we have agreed a set of
GUIDELINES:
•Alcohol and drugs are not permitted on the camp.
•Sexual harassment will not be tolerated: we have a Positive Spaces Policy
for dealing with problematic behaviour.
•Everyone on the camp is treated as equal and work is shared equally.
•We are pursuing our goals through non-violent direct action.
•Everyone on the camp is accountable to the camp; we don’t carry out
individualist actions.
•We use a collective decision-making process; everyone in the camp
contributes to decisions.
•We try to leave as light an ecological footprint as possible. This includes
recycling or composting our waste.
COME TO THE CAMP
We need people in early 2006 and right throughout the year to help prevent
Shell putting people’s lives at risk and destroying this beautiful area.
The camp welcomes people of all ages, abilities and skills to come and stay
for a few days, a few weeks, a few months...
We can accommodate people on the camp in communal sleeping areas;
alternatively bring your own tent. We have communal vegetarian and vegan
meals. We hope that everyone contributes what they can to the camp kitty,
but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Children are welcome.
What to bring:
•Warm and waterproof clothing
•Wellies
•Sleeping bag, mat, warm blankets
•Tent
•Something from our wishlist if you can!
If you can’t come to the camp, but still want to help out, get involved in
your local Shell To Sea group or start one up ( www.shelltosea.com)
Spread the word:
•Organise a fundraiser or donate money or something from our wish list:
www.struggle.ws/rsc/
•Regular reports from the campaign can be read at: www.indymedia.ie/mayo
HOW TO FIND US
For directions on how to get to the camp look at the website
(but please contact us before arriving!):
www.struggle.ws/rsc/
Contact details for people at camp:
Tracey: +353 87 6543425
Michael: +353 86 3588890
Bob: +353 86 3201612
Landline: 097-20944
Email: rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com