Press Release: 1100 People Call on EPA not to Grant Shell Emissions Licence

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Wednesday May 27, 2015 22:17 by Shell2Sea - Shell To Sea

Last week 1100 people signed a petition calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject Shell's application for an Industrial Emissions Licence for the Shell/Corrib Gas refinery at Bellanaboy, Co Mayo. They have also called for an oral hearing to be held into the application. The petition was started by the Shell to Sea campaign and was hosted by the "Avaaz" community petitions website. [1]

Shell are currently unable to operate the Bellanaboy refinery as their earlier Emissions Licence was quashed by the High Court last year. Martin Harrington successfully took the challenge on the basis that the EPA was wrong in granting Shell an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) licence before undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment. [2]

Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway stated: “Time and again, the EPA has shown their unwillingness to hold Shell to task. Just recently when 800 metres of Shell's outflow pipe was found floating in Broadhaven Bay by fishermen, the EPA response was to say that Shell were doing their best to fix the problem and there was no need to send inspectors." [3]

Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington stated: “It is interesting to note that Shell would have us believe their project is opening this year – do Shell and the EPA know something the rest of us don't?”

Separately, over 60 local residents signed an objection to the EPA, in which they state "From our point of view the track record of the EPA in monitoring the construction phase of the Corrib Project has been negligent at best". They also states “the EPA is neither equipped nor willing to take on the responsibility for this time bomb which we are expected to live beside”. The local residents objection also requested an oral hearing. Submissions on the application close today.

ENDS

Links

[1] "Irish EPA: Don't give Shell a Licence to Pollute!" - Avaaz petition
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Irish_Environmenta...llute

[2] Revised Corrib gas licence quashed by court – RTE News
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1015/480557-corrib-gas-epa/

[3] Concern about State response to dislodged Corrib discharge pipe – Lorna Siggins – Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/conce...41971

The Shell to Sea Campaign has three main aims:

1) That any exploitation of the Corrib gas field be done in a safe way that will not expose the local community in Erris to unnecessary health, safety and environmental risks.
2) To renegotiate the terms of the Great Oil and Gas Giveaway, which sees Ireland’s 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent* off the West Coast go directly to the oil companies, with the Irish State retaining a 0% share, no energy security of supply and only 25% tax on profits against which all costs can be deducted.
3) To seek justice for the human rights abuses suffered by Shell to Sea campaigners due to their opposition to Shell’s proposed inland refinery