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// Shell advisers had no consent to drill

The Department of the Environment is considering what action to take with the Corrib gas developers, following an admission by Shell consultants that they drilled in a special area of conservation (SAC) in north Mayo without the appropriate consent.

The consultants have also conceded they did not consult the National Parks and Wildlife Service before drilling boreholes in the Glenamoy bog complex special area of conservation.

 

They have said the "oversight" was due to "miscommunication", both within their own company and Shell E&P Ireland.

A Department of Environment spokesman said that an expert had been sent to assess whether the SAC had been damaged. It would decide what action to take.

Under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, the Minister for the Environment must authorise any such work in a special area of conservation by written consent, and contravention of this "without reasonable excuse" is described as an "offence" in the legislation.

The borehole drilling was being carried out by RPS Consultants, which had been hired by Shell E&P Ireland to select a modified route for the Corrib gas onshore pipeline.

Six weeks ago, a solidarity camp on the same site at Glengad was directed by court order to be dismantled by January 1st.

In a statement to The Irish Times , RPS Consultants said: "We are aware that in order to carry out such activities within a SAC, permission needs to be granted by the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and we are currently in discussion with them."

Lorna Siggins

© 2007 The Irish Times

Reads: 1049
Added: 26/10/2007
Added By: Tony Lowes
Comments: 1 | Add Comment

// Read Other Articles in Parks & Designations

Tadhg McGrath on 26/10/2007

There is an indymedia article on the confrontation between the Shell contracters and the local people which stopped drilling here:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84782

excerpt :
There was then about an hour stand-off in which no work was done until the garda?? arrived. Once about 20 garda?? had arrived at the scene, the new superintendent for Belmullet John Gilligan went over to the workers and told them to start up the machines again and continue with the work. He then proceeded over to the protestors where he was informed of the situation regarding the SAC, and that illegal work was being carried out. He basically said that he didn’t care about any of it and warned the protestors that if they didn’t leave the area, they would be removed. The protestors said that they wouldn’t leave and that if they were doing something wrong then they should be arrested. Supt. Gilligan then said that the protestors had 5 minutes to consider they’re options following which they would be removed. He then retired back to the group of garda?? that were on one side of the fencing. After about a minute the garda?? began surrounding the temporary fencing, however before they could close off access, a member of Rossport Solidarity Camp jumped over the temporary fencing and climbed the drilling machine. This seemed to take the garda?? by total surprise and it took them a few minutes to regroup while the workers turned off the drilling machine. It also changed the focus of the garda??, with the garda?? now trying to coax down the climber instead of trying to forcibly remove the protestors.

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