Shell drilling stopped for an hour and a half
6.08.2010
Rossport Solidarity Campers go out before 7am and successfully prevent workers from accessing the drilling platforms.
9 Campers wadded and kayaked out to the platforms this morning and halted work for 1 and half hours. IRMS workers eventually secured the area by pushing people away and dragging their kayaks down the estuary. Kayaks were deflated by security and some people were dangerously forced to swim in high currents. There were no arrests.
We really need more people to come and take part in actions over the next two months. Please get in touch if you think you would be able to come down and help stop Shell.
http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org
—-
Shell drilling stopped for 5 hours – as Beat the Boreholes continues
05.08.2010
Yesterday morning 11 people from Rossport Solidarity Camp waded and kayaked out from the camp to again delay Shell’s survey work in Sruwaddacon Estuary. Overall drilling work was stopped for over 5 hours, with one person climbing up one of the legs of the drilling platforms. Several people also attached themselves to the 2 outer drilling poles which are under the platforms.
The campers went out before 7am to prevent workers getting access to the platform and held the platform for about 4 hours before being removed by IRMS security. Despite only 11 protesters being present, it took 50 IRMS to come before they could secure the area. After about 5 hours the drilling workers got on board and started preparing the drilling operation. Eventually they started drilling at around 1pm, despite the climber still being perched at the side of the platform. They drilled for approximately an hour before the climber came down and swam back to shore.
The drilling platforms are currently in a vital part of the SAC; close to bird feeding and nesting sites. At this time the estuary is also used as a migration route for Atlantic Salmon which are an Annex 1 species (the most protected EU category). They are very vulnerable to suffocation by suspended solids in the water clogging their gills and today we saw evidence of sediment spewing into the estuary from the boreholes. Movement of the platforms will also release suspended solids; endangering the supposedly protected salmon. This directly contravenes the purpose of the SAC which Minister Gormley seems to conveniently forget when it comes to facilitating big business here in Mayo but likes to remind us at other times such as on 2nd August in relation to restricting leisure activities to protect SAC’s, the Minister said;
“Along with other EU States, Ireland has designated certain areas for nature protection and, in those areas, that must be our priority. Many people, indeed, find recreation in the enjoyment of undisturbed nature,” he concluded .
Indeed Gormley, that is what the people of Erris have been saying for 10 years; its time to protect this SAC from Shell!
John Gormley’s recent press release:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Heritage/NationalParksandWildl…n.htm
rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com
http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org, www.shelltosea.com
—-
Shell disrupted – Beat the Boreholes continues
9.8.2010
Yesterday at about 2.30pm Shell began to lower “Jack – 1” – one of two survey barges currently in Sruth Fhada Chonn estuary SAC (Special Area of Protection) – in order to tug it to another part of the estuary.
The Rossport Solidarity Camp was ready and willing to claim free passage of the public estuary and in the process upset the operation. Over a dozen Shell security boats and two Garda RIBS couldn’t keep the 6 kaykers out, with two of them reaching the moving barge after an hour and a half of chase.
Shell’s jack-up barges are damaging Sruth Fhada Chonn estuary SAC (Special Area of Conservation) by drilling survey boreholes for the proposed Onshore Corrib Gas Pipeline tunnel – the latest route offered by Shell as a means to hook up the refinery to the well. At each new location the barges massive legs are lowered into the estuary crushing life beneath the sand. Estuary water is being used to lubricate the work, and and outfall pipe is discharging it back in to the supposedly protected waters.
The Gardaí seemed happy to let IRMS do as they pleased on the water, with kayakers being unlawfully rammed, grabbed, towed against their will – all on a public waterway. At one stage an IRMS boat stole one kayak from under its owner, capsizing him into the water. The Gardaí issued many Section 8 warning under the public order act (to the kaykers) but no arrests were made, despite one kayaker making it onto the moving rig.
Beat the boreholes continues, now both rigs are in the upper estuary – on the sand at low tide and accessible by walking.
rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com
www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org, www.shelltosea.com