Greenpeace news release
Greenpeace activists boarded two oil platforms in Shell’s Brent
field earlier today in a peaceful protest against the company’s
plans to leave behind thousands of tonnes of hazardous oily
sludge in the North Sea.
A team of climbers, supported by the Greenpeace ship
Rainbow Warrior, scaled Brent Alpha and Bravo and hung two giant
banners saying, ‘Shell, clean up your mess!’ and ‘Stop Ocean
Pollution’.
The protest takes place ahead of a crucial meeting on
Friday where the UK government is expected to back Shell’s
proposal against opposition from Germany, the Netherlands and the
European Commission.
As part of its decommissioning plan, Shell intends to leave
behind the bases of three Brent oil rigs. But encased in the
concrete legs are storage tanks containing a total of around
40,000 cubic metres of oily sediment, including 11,000 tonnes of
crude oil, according to Shell’s own figures. [1]
A ban on dumping installations and platforms in the North
East Atlantic ocean was agreed in 1998 by all members of
the OSPAR Commission.
Shell requested an exemption from the UK government, which the UK
government has endorsed.
[2]
Germany has filed an official objection to the UK’s
proposal. The Netherlands is also expected to object and the
European Commission has already raised serious concerns,
describing the oily sediment as ‘hazardous waste according to EU
law’ in a letter to UK officials.
“The UK government cannot claim to be a global oceans
champion while allowing Shell to dump thousands of tonnes of oil
waste in the North Sea,” said Dr Doug Parr,
Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist. “If ministers allow
Shell to bend the rules, this will set a dangerous precedent for
the decommissioning of hundreds of ageing North Sea platforms in
the coming years. Shell made billions from drilling for oil in
this region - they shouldn’t be allowed to scrimp and save on the
clean-up at the expense of our marine environment.”
In 1995, public support for the Brent Spar
campaign pushed Shell to agree to dismantle the oil tank
and loading platform on land instead of dumping it in the sea.
The campaign also led to OSPAR’s decision in 1998 to ban such
dumping in the North East Atlantic.
“Shell's plans are a scandal and go against international
agreements to protect the environment. With escalating climate
emergency, biodiversity loss and species extinction, we need
healthy oceans more than ever. Abandoning thousands of tonnes of
oil in aging concrete will sooner or later pollute the sea. Shell
must be stopped. We urge OSPAR governments to protect the ocean
and not cave in to corporate pressure,”
said Christian Bussau, Greenpeace campaigner on
board the Rainbow Warrior. [3]
