UK GOVERNMENT SET TO TURN NORTH SEA INTO OIL RIG GRAVEYARD

North Sea--5 MAY 1995-- The UK Government's review of offshore oil and gas rig abandonment would enable the oil industry to dump North Sea rigs and their toxic contents where they stand, Greenpeace said today.

Released last night as Greenpeace activists ended their fifth day of occupation on the Brent Spar platform, the UK Department of Trade and Industry's review takes one more disastrous step towards giving the oil industry its consent to dump toxic rig wrecks in the North Sea.

The Brent Spar is the first of 400 oil and gas platforms to be given the go-ahead for dumping at sea. The UK Government gave its owner, Shell, permission to dump the platform and its 130 tonnes of toxic and radioactive contents in the North East Atlantic. 50 platforms are due to for decommissioning over the next ten years. If the Brent Spar dumping goes ahead it will set a precedent for the others to be dumped.

"This review shows that the UK Government is bending over backwards to allow the oil industry to choose the cheap over the responsible option, and to dump these platforms into an already heavily polluted North Sea," said Greenpeace campaigner Tim Birch from the Brent Spar.

The review's draft policy accepts oil industry arguments to reduce the required clearance depth between dumped platforms and the sea surface from 75m to 55m to enable the industry to topple their huge abandoned structures where they stand. This will further endanger fishing and other vessels in the North Sea.

"The impact on the North Sea marine environment will be disastrous as more and more rigs and platforms containing tonnes of hazardous substances are decommissioned and sunk where they are," said Birch. "Dumping at sea is irresponsible, unneccessary and easily avoidable. Greenpeace has shown that disposal of rigs on land is a viable alternative and the best environmental option."

"In the US, the oil and gas industry is required to dispose of old rigs onland within a year of decomissioning," said Birch. "The industry will dump them into the marine environment here in UK waters simply because they can get away it courtesy of the government."

"It is incredible that the UK Government is working with the oil industry to facilitate the dumping of these toxic rigs into the North sea, just four weeks before North Sea ministers meet to discuss ways to eliminate chemical pollution of the sea."

14 Greenpeace activists from 4 countries are onboard the Brent Spar to protest Shell's plans to dump it at sea. They will remain until the UK Government or Shell comes to their senses and reverse the outrageous decision to dump.

For information: Tim Birch on the Brent Spar ++871 382 322 022
Rick le Coyte or Simon Reddy ++44 171 354 5100; Cindy Baxter ++44 171 833 0600;
Video/stills available 44 171 833 0600