Myth 1
Shell has agreed to reroute the controversial high-pressure gas pipeline
away from Rossport.
Reality:
On August 3 2006, Shell announced that they would "consider" moving the
route "within the vicinity of Rossport". The company admits that this might
mean simply moving it a few metres to one side; and that the original route
has not been ruled out. Green Party leader Trevor Sargent met with Shell
executives in October 2006, after which he said it was clear to him that the
company had "no intention" of giving up on the original route. Finally,
Shell is insisting on retaining the compulsory acquisition orders relating
to the land through which the original pipeline route runs.
Myth 2
The Corrib Gas project has been through the whole planning process.
Reality:
* The pipeline: No planning permission was required for the controversial
section of pipeline due to be laid through Rossport. This is due to its
effectively being classed as an "offshore" pipeline, despite the fact that
it would extend 9km inland, passing close to houses en route.
* The refinery: As for the refinery's planning history, in April 2003 its
proposed location was described by An Bord Pleanála's senior planning
inspector, Kevin Moore, as "the wrong site" and the Board rejected
permission. Planning permission was eventually granted (for the same
location) after high-level meetings between Shell executives, the Taoiseach
and government ministers, and a week later, a meeting between Shell and the
chairman of An Bord Pleanála. (For more detail on these meetings, obtained
under Freedom of Information, see pages 15-16 of the Centre for Public
Inquiry report, The Great Corrib Gas Controversy.)
Myth 3
The Shell to Sea campaign is opposed to the Corrib Gas project.
Reality:
The Shell to Sea campaign is not opposed to the Corrib Gas project. The
campaign is opposed to the way Shell has configured the project, with a
refinery in the bog and a high-pressure production pipeline close
to houses in Rossport.
Myth 4
Only a minority of people in Mayo support the demands of the Shell to Sea
campaign.
Reality:
A TNS-MRBI poll carried out for TG4 in September 2006 found that 61% of
people in Mayo felt the Corrib Gas terminal should be located at sea, while
only 23% felt it should be located at Bellanaboy. (Details:
www.rte.ie/news/features/election2007/polls/nuachtmayopollrossport.pdf )
A poll by Public Opinion Ltd. for the Mayo Advertiser in October 2006 found
that 45% of people in Mayo supported Shell to Sea's campaign to have the
refinery located offshore, while 15% supported Shell's proposal (40% had no
opinion).
Myth 5
The Advantica Report gave the green light to the refinery and pipeline scheme.
Reality:
The scope of the Advantica Report into the proposed high-pressure pipeline
through Rossport did not allow for consideration of any aspect of the
proposed refinery at Bellanaboy. Neither was Advantica allowed to
recommend an alternative route for the pipeline. The report begins by
criticising these narrow terms of reference and then goes on to list
numerous safety concerns relating to the proposed pipeline, including a
total disregard for societal risk at the concept stage. (Read the report at:
http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/TAG/)
Myth 6
Initially protestors had certain health and safety fears, but following the
jailing of the Rossport Five in June 2005 they became more hardline and
demanded that the gas be processed offshore.
Reality:
Local people first called for the gas to be processed offshore in November
2000 and have been consistent in calling for this compromise solution in the
six years since then. (The Shell To Sea name was adopted on 27 January
2005.)
Myth 7
The 11 towns in Co. Mayo and Co. Galway included in the extension of the
national gas grid, announced on November 3 2006, will receive gas only if
and when the Corrib Gas project is completed.
Reality:
The extension of the grid to these towns has been decoupled from the Corrib
Gas project. These towns will receive gas from Kinsale or from abroad prior
to completion of the Corrib Gas project.
Myth 8
Completion of the Corrib Gas project will bring domestic gas prices back
down.
Reality:
Bord Gáis will buy the gas at market rates. On RTÉ's Five-Seven Live on
Friday 21 July 2006, David Bunworth, the head of Bord Gáis Energy Supply,
was asked would the Corrib gas project make any difference to the price
Irish people pay for gas. "No, it won't," he replied.
Myth 9
An offshore terminal is an extravagant demand, which effectively amounts to
calling for the project to be scrapped.
Reality:
At Kinsale, gas is processed offshore. This is the standard procedure
worldwide for projects of this sort. The Shell-led consortium could build it
just offshore, but does not want to on grounds of cost.
Myth 10
Completion of the project will ensure "security of supply" for Ireland into
the future.
Reality:
The quantity of gas in the Corrib field is equivalent to the amount of gas
Ireland consumes in about eight years. Furthermore, under the terms of its
gas exploration licence, the Shell consortium is at liberty to sell the gas
to the highest bidder, even if that bidder is outside the state. In other
words, Bord Gáis will have to bid against buyers of gas in other countries.
Indeed, at a recent conference in Dublin, Exploring Atlantic Ireland 2006,
the assistant secretary of the Department of the Marine and Natural
Resources, Martin Brennan, told the international audience of potential
investors in Ireland's offshore gas that "there are now three
interconnecters between Ireland and the UK, so if you do hit a gush, there's
plenty of market out there."
Myth 11
Most landowners affected by the proposed high-pressure pipeline through
Rossport, when first approached, were content to allow it be laid through
their land.
Reality:
The affected landowners were told from day one that if they didn't sign up,
they would be served court injunctions obliging them to let Shell access
their lands. This was borne out in 2005 when injunctions were served and
three landowners (along with two other local men) were jailed for refusing
to obey the injunctions.
Myth 12
The project will create hundreds of jobs in the Erris region.
Reality:
Several hundred temporary jobs would be created for the building of the
terminal. The number of permanent jobs at the terminal would be less than
50, according to Shell. There is no obligation on the company to employ
local people.
Myth 13
The gas in the Corrib Field is worth millions of euro to the Irish economy.
Reality:
The Shell-led consortium will own all gas extracted from the Corrib field
and can sell it to Bord Gáis at full market rates. The Irish state will
receive no royalties and no share of the gas. The financial beneficiaries
will be the shareholders of Shell, Statoil and Marathon.
Myth 14
The Shell to Sea campaign in Erris has been infiltrated or hijacked by
republicans, environmentalists, socialists, anarchists and others with
anti-corporate agendas and a desire to confront gardaí.
Reality:
Campaign tactics are decided by the roughly 100 local people who attend
weekly planning meetings at Glenamoy, close to the proposed refinery. However, the local campaign has always called for outside support, partly on the basis that they consider Corrib Gas to be a national issue; and they have received such support from around Ireland and abroad.
Shell to Sea groups around Ireland adhere to decisions made at the Glenamoy
meetings. Shell to Sea has rejected outright the suggestions by certain
politicians and newspapers that "outside agitators" are influential in the
campaign. All demonstrations organised by Shell to Sea have been marked by
peaceful restraint and self-discipline in the face of serious provocation by
certain gardaí. Finally, as the campaign is open to all, to suggest that it
can be "infiltrated" is nonsensical.
Myth 15
Objectors to the project are nimbyists (nimby: not in my back yard) : millions of people in Ireland live close to gas pipelines.
Reality:
There is no pipeline like this one anywhere in Ireland. The largest Bord
Gáis transmission pipelines are 70 bar and carry treated, odorised gas. The
proposed Rossport pipeline is a production pipeline, which would operate at
up 145 bar and -- according to the Advantica Report -- possibly higher;
would carry untreated, unodorised gas and would be laid in an unstable bog.
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