Corrib pipeline roadway was 'built illegally'

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revolt video, community struggles

More damning news for Shell, Statoil, Marathon and the Government emerged yesterday with a landmark Bord Pleanala ruling. The ruling could be one of the final nails in the Corrib gas project coffin.

Meanwhile the Shell to Sea campaign continues to grow in Mayo, throughout the country and indeed internationally. This weekend hundreds of supporters of the Rossport Solidarity camp will gather in Mayo to mark the camp's 1st anniversary of successful non-violent resistance. Campers say they will stay as long as it takes but there are growing signs that
the project looks doomed.

This summer will see continuing organising, resistance and lobbying by the Shell to Sea campaign. It's not over til it's over so support is needed in lot's of ways.

If you can help please email info@shelltosea.com.

Beir Bua!

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THE controversial €1bn Corrib gas project has been dealt a major planning blow. Bord Pleanala has ruled that a private road from the Atlantic was built illegally.

Shell now faces having to tear up the road it built though a special conservation area in Co Mayo without planning permission. Yesterday's landmark Bord Pleanala ruling could delay the project for at least a year.
In a clear win for objectors, the board ruled that a private road already built from the foreshore at Sruwaddacon Bay, where the gas pipeline comes ashore to the existing county road, needs planning permission.

An Bord Pleanala said that the road was built through a priority habitat protected under an EU directive on special areas of conservation known as SACs. This means that Shell will either have to remove the 1km road built for the project or apply to Mayo Co Council for retention permission. If it applies and loses, the road will have to be taken up.

The ruling also means that the company must stop work in a number of other areas linked to the project until permission has been secured. A number of works already carried out also need permission and are not exempt, it also ruled.

This means that work on these projects will have to be halted. Planning applications to sort out the controversy could take up to a year.

In a clear victory for opponents of the massive project, the board ruled in favour of An Taisce, which had questioned the issue of planning permission. An Taisce had submitted a list of projects involved in the development and asked if they constituted development, which would need planning permission.
The board ruled that Shell requires planning permission for three aspects of work it is already conducting in relation to the Corrib gas field.

An Bord Pleanala has already given the go-ahead for the overall project.

Approval was also needed a for valve station already installed on the gas pipeline, the board ruled. An Taisce said the decision raised serious concerns.

"It means that a major element of the Corrib Gas development in Co Mayo is unauthorised and is proceeding without planning permission," a spokesperson said.

"It also raises the question as to why the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has the legal function for implementing the Habitats Directive in Ireland, failed to take action with regard to the unauthorised development on the designated shoreline site," An Taisce said.

Treacy Hogan

Shell requires Corrib planning permission
01 June 2006 13:06
An Bord Pleanála has ruled that Shell requires planning permission for three aspects of work it is already conducting in relation to the Corrib gas field. An Taisce had raised 14 questions in relation to different aspects of the work and today An Bord Pleanála ruled that three issues did require planning permission.The ruling means that the company must stop work in these areas until permission has been secured.

The areas include work widening an entrance to a landfill and the construction of a road through a protected habitat, as well as work on a station.

www.rte.ie

While the Shell headquarters are in Den Haag,(the hauge), they continue internationally unjust actions. Presently, Rossport a rural area off the beautiful west coast of Ireland is under attack.
Shell have been taking part in illegal operations just to line their pockets, putting the environment and its residences in danger. They went as far as to put five local men, who refused to sign their land away, in jail for 94 days.

Though the issue of the Rossport pipeline was last in the news when the the five local men were released from prison, the conflict with Shell hasn't gone away. Since then the government commissioned a report, which essentially whitewashed Shell and gave the go ahead to build this dangerous pipeline. If it goes ahead it will be the first time in the world that unrefined gas will be travel ling to an onshore refinery 15kms inland. This would have disastrous effects (already polluting the local bay in its construction) and has already been deemed unsafe by and independent environmental inquiry.
The people of Rossport, however, are not lying down in the face of either the multinational or government. Last summer they stopped Shell from carrying out pipeline work. This summer the plan is the same. Safety is not negotiable.
Five years ago when Shell decided to push ahead with this pipeline it was clear it wasn't safe. Five years later, government reports or bullying a small community will not change this fact. It wasn't safe then and it isn't safe now.
Beyond safety and the sensitive bog land environment, the Shell is ripping Ireland's resources off. Five years ago Shell got the deal of a century when the country's esteemed leaders gave them the entire gas field and then paid them to build the refinery by giving them massive tax breaks on all their construction work. If it was a rip-off then, it's still a rip-off now.
Shell are aware that they face a very strong campaign and so have been sending out fancy leaflets all across Mayo telling people how safe the pipeline is. They are getting ready for a big push to have it built this spring.
The local Campaign is also preparing too. Last autumn a delegation went to Norway to successfully publicise the complicity of Statoil, who own the second largest stake in the field.
At the moment there are several people preparing a camp site in Mayo to facilitate people who want to go and show solidarity. The camp is opening on February 25th and is for all interested in showing solidarity with the people of Rossport.
In this sparsely populated area the campers will help with the continuous picket which makes sure that Shell don't start their pipe laying. If you have a few days to spare or more, come to Mayo and help with the camp..
If you can't get to Mayo, you can get in touch with your local 'Shell to Sea' group, or make one and let the true face of these multinationals be shown.
Amsterdam:
Eyfa: Anitya, anitya@eyfa.org
phone. +31 [0]20 665 7743

shell to sea solidarity camp:
E-mail: rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com
Phone: 097 20944 or 086 3201612
Mailing List- send blank e-mail to rossportsolidaritycamp-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
For more info:
(struggle:

Future action in,Amsterdam:
We Here at camp were discussin doing actions at various subcontractors headquarters involved in the Corrib Gas Project both at home and abroad.

Tideway, the dredgin company involved in the offshore diggin of the pipeline route, are based in the neatherlands.
This is their site address and physical address/contact details respectively:

Sitehomepage:
for details...

tideway:

Visiting address: Topaasstraat 64
4817 HW Breda
The Netherlands

Email: tideway@dredging.com
Tel : +31 76 5204140
Fax : +31 76 5204150

Postal address: P.O. Box 7074
4800 GB Breda
The Netherlands

If its possible do ye think we could organise a demo at their HQ.? Anybody in Breda interested?

There is info. available about there involvement in the project here:
Indymedia, Eire, newswire article:.

Allseas, who sub-contract work to Tideway, and also own the Solitaire pipe laying ship which was stopped
by the threat of local fishermen blockading it back in August. They are based in Switzerland i believe.