Emergency gas flaring has had to take place at the Corrib refinery because unscented gas was allowed into the national grid. Terence Conway of Shell to Sea reports from the gates of the refinery in the video.
Emergency gas flaring has had to take place at the Corrib refinery because unscented gas was allowed into the national grid. Terence Conway of Shell to Sea reports from the gates of the refinery in the video.
Because this gas cannot be smelt it puts consumers at risk of accidental gas explosions as leaks won’t be detected. The gas pumped from the sea to the refinery that runs through local communities has no scent and in the original plan that high pressure pipe would have ran through people’s gardens and under their driveways. A decade of resistance and hundreds of arrests forced changes in the plan so the pipe is now further from homes but the community remains under risk in the case of major explosions.
Shell to Sea have issued a press release headed "Shell’s incompetence puts lives in danger all over Mayo and Galway"
In it they say; "Following Shell’s latest fiasco of putting odourless gas into the Irish gas network, Shell to Sea has again highlighted the lack of regulation and monitoring of Shell in relation to the Corrib Gas project.
Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway stated "During construction of the Corrib project, Shell were a clear danger to lives in this area, but now it is clear that they are a danger to lives further afield also. We have no confidence in the state to regulate or control Shell."
Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington stated "Shell has brought their worst practice in Nigeria into the beautiful Barony of Erris – how dare they and how dare this state allow Shell to poison a pristine environment and the health of future generations; this cannot be spun as a spurious health and safety concern – it’s incompetent and negligent; it is our Place and our People who suffer the consequences while unaccountable, faceless functionaries reap their pensions".
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Terence posted this video as a lifestream to his page, we’ve edited it so it goes almost immediately to his explanation of what is happening and so that the gas flare is zoomed in on to make it more visible.