http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/brent/brent.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)GREENPEACE BRENT SPAR PROTEST IN THE NORTH SEA
On 16 February this year, Greenpeace learned that the UK government had granted permission for Shell Oil to dump a huge, heavily contaminated oil installation, the 4,000 tonne Brent Spar, into the North Sea despite it being loaded with toxic and radioactive sludge. Dumping operations, just west of
Ireland and Scotland, were expected to begin in May. Greenpeace went into action with plans to take over and occupy the rig to
prevent the dumping. More than two dozen activists from six North Sea countries came together to pull operations together.
Video and photo staff were called upon to document the Brent Spar platform and the occupation. The Moby Dick delivered activists to the platform and remained in the area to provide back up.
Ironically, the planned Shell dump came just one month before North Sea environment ministers were due to meet in Denmark in June to
discuss measures to eliminate the discharge of hazardous substances from all sources into the North Sea and the marine
environment. The Brent Spar contains over 100 tonnes of toxic sludge -- including oil, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs and lead -- and
more than 30 tonnes of radioactive waste left over from oil drilling and storage operations on the Brent Oil Field.
Greenpeace believes that if this platform were to be dumped at sea, with some 400 others at work in the North Sea alone, this would
have set a dangerous precedent. At the Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPARCOM) meeting, 11 out of 13 countries agreed a moratorium on the
dumping of offshore installations, pending agreement on a outright ban.
Click for map giving more information about the Brent Spar platform
Contact the Chairman of Shell UK by phone, fax or letter and let him know what you think.
Click to go to North Sea Environment and Action Photo Gallery.
...and then mail your comments to Dr Helen Wallace if you wish (please enter "Brent Spar debate" in the subject field)
Read the comments of two scientists from the Scotish Association of Marine Science on Shell and Greenpeace's arguments and the marine life of the proposed dumping zone.
Disclaimer: The links below are in no way endorsed by Greenpeace and Greenpeace bears no responsibility for the material contained therein
The Ken Saro Wiwa homepage chronicles the plight of the Ogoni people in Nigeria and the activities of Shell exploration.
This page is still under development
Page editor is:Shell abandons plans to dump Brent Spar at sea but UK Government claims that dumping remains an option. Read our press release issued in response to this statement
57KB GIF
or 12KB JPG. ©Greenpeace/Sims.
from April 29th until July 20th.
Read the diary and press releases of the Greenpeace occupation of the Brent Spar including photographs and sounds....
Please feel welcome to E-mail Shell USand express your support for Shell UK's decision dismantle the Brent Spar on land
Shell US are on the Web and would like to hear your comments and suggestions.
We are happy to link to their Web site here.
Why not send them your comments by clicking here.
Decide for yourself
Read Shell's documents on the Brent Spar Abandonment....
Brent Spar Abandonment Impact Hypothesis prepared for Shell U.K. Exploration and Production by Rudall Blanchard Associates Limited 15/12/94
...and read Greenpeace's response...
Other Sites of interest
The Body Shop supports the campaign to release Ken Saro Wiwa and make an Urgent Call for Global action.
Tilo and Sloboda make Shell related gifs and jpegs.
