Shell To Sea
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This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
"Shell To Sea" is a campaign based in County Mayo, Ireland against the construction by Shell of a high pressure gas pipeline and a refinery at Bellanaboy which would process the gas from the Corrib Gas Field.
The Corrib field was discovered in October 1996 by Enterprise Oil, 70km off Mayo coast in over 349 metres of water, with the gas field a further 3,500 metres below sea level.
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[edit] Safety and Environmental Concerns
[edit] Refinery Site
The cleaning terminal, a large combustion plant, is a huge project. It would require in excess of 120 Megawatts of power to operate. The power would come from burning off the uncleaned gas condensate, containing oxides of carbon and nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, methane and ozone. There would be nine chimneys, four of them approximately 140 feet high. These would release carbon dioxide and methane equivalent to the global warming potential of 27,000 dairy cows.
The waste water problem is twofold:
- There is a pipe to take waste impurities to sea and a perforated perimeter ditch which would surround the drainage from the site.
- The waste water storage sump is designed to withstand a few hours of continuous rainfall, though Crossmolina had 106 days consecutive rainfall during autumn 2004. The overflow from the sump would flow into Carrowmore Lake, which feeds the water supply of Erris.
This untreated waste water would contain many toxic substances, including lead, nickel, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, arsenic, mercury and the radioactive gas radon.
The refinery would be constructed on blanket bog. Shell’s plan to stabilise this involves mixing in cement to form a hard surface. This process has only ever had small field trials and lab tests and creates a reaction which produces the very toxic hexavalent chromium.
The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of producing a report into the environmental effects of the pipeline and its site in Bellanaboy.The report is expected to be finished in due time.
[edit] Pipeline Route
The upstream high pressure gas pipeline that connects the well to the inland refinery site runs through the area of Rossport beside villages and peoples' homes. The pressure inside the pipeline would be up to four times greater than that of the biggest Bord Gais pipelines and will be going through boggy land with a history of landslides. The gas pipeline would also have adjoining pipelines carrying hydraulic fluid, cleansing acids and a waste pipe. There would also be electric cables.
This is a high pressure pipeline, 345 bar pressure for the gas, 610 bar (61 Megapascals) pressure for the acids and hydraulic fluid. It is untreated, that is, odourless, without the added smell for detecting leaks. To compare, in Kinsale the gas is refined at sea, piped ashore at a much lower pressure and odorised. The biggest Bord Gais pipelines, in the so-called Transmission network, bringing the gas cross-country or overseas, run at 16 – 70 bar pressure.
The large pressure is necessary as the pipeline is actually pumping the gas straight out of the field, normally this process takes place completely at sea. This development is so unprecedented the relevant Irish legislation and regulations assumes its non-existence. That is, it applies to off-shore upstream pipelines and to on-land ones with similar levels of pressure to those used by Bord Gais.
[edit] Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is where Shell want to discharge toxic waste from the refining process. Due to the bay’s circular tidal pattern and semi-enclosed nature a large portion of this toxic waste is likely to stay within the bay rather than be washed out to sea.
A U.C.C. research team found that the bay was an important breeding and rearing area for whales and dolphins. They recorded over 220 sightings of seven whale and dolphin species including sightings of the relatively rare Risso's Dolphin, plus sightings of two seal species and marine mammals such as basking sharks and a sea turtle in Broadhaven Bay and north-west Mayo waters.
Broadhaven Bay is a Special Area of Conservation under E.U. regulations. According to state heritage agency Dúchas “Broadhaven Bay supports an internationally important number of Brent Goose” as well as regionally important populations of other birds.
The pipeline would pass through the machair sand dunes/coastal grasslands at one end of Broadhaven Bay. These constitute a habitat unique to the north west of Ireland and the north west of Scotland.
[edit] Current Situation
On Tuesday September 26th 2006 workers for Shell were prevented from entering the site of the refinery at Bennalaboy to begin work. Around 150 local people along with some supporters from around the country blocked the entrance to the refinery site and began to recite the rosary. The workers turned back after discussions with Gardaí.[1]
One week later on the 3rd of October, Gardaí had been brought in from around the country and their numbers had increased to around 170. An attempt was made to block workers' access to the site by lying on the road but protesters were removed by the Gardaí with a number of people injured and one young woman brought to hospital.[2]
With the daily protests at Bellenaboy continuing, protesters occupied Shell Ireland HQ in Dublin.[3]
On the 12th of October three people were arrested at the morning protests.[4]
A newspaper and local business leaders have claimed that Sinn Fein have become involved in the issue. [5]
On Friday October 2oth there was a large scale protest at Bellanaboy, and one protester was arrested and released without charge. During the following weeks, protesters complained of Garda brutality in policing the daily protests.
A second large scale protest march was planned for Friday November 10th, the anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa, and eight other anti-Shell activists in Nigeria in 1995. When protesters worked their way around police lines, they were attacked with batons and several were injured. Small groups of demonstrators who had been unable to get to the refinery attempted to blockade the nearby quarries supplying material for the construction of the site.
The was political controversy in Ireland about the use of such force on a peaceful demonstration.
A further large scale protest at Bellanaboy scheduled for November 24th was cancelled by the protesters because of fears of further Garda violence.
[edit] References
- ^ Indymedia.ie report 26th September 2006
- ^ "Mayo News" article 3rd October 2006
- ^ RTE news report 11th October
- ^ RTE news report 12th October 2006
- ^ Irish Independent 21st October 2006
