Brent Spar-Shell:Safety Risk,GP:Dumping Risk

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> SHELL QUESTIONS SAFETY OF BRENT SPAR; GREENPEACE QUESTIONS

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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> SHELL QUESTIONS SAFETY OF BRENT SPAR; GREENPEACE QUESTIONS
SAFETY OF DUMPING

NORTH SEA, 4 May 1995 (GP) The Greenpeace activists occupying the
Brent Spar abandoned oil installation in the North Sea said today
they had been warned by Shell of safety problems on the platform.

Campaigner on the platform, Tim Birch, said this morning that a
communication had been received late yesterday from Shell, which
spelt out safety problems in and around the abandoned
installation. Shell was concerned that there be no injury nor
loss of life.

"Greenpeace has done its research on the safety of our occupation
and all precautions have been taken.  But we consider that the
risks we are taking are nothing compared with the threat posed to
the marine environment with the dumping of the Brent Spar at
Sea," said Birch.

"Shell seems to have no concern at the effect that 100 tonnes of
tonnes of toxic sludge and 30 tonnes of radioactive waste will
have on the North East Atlantic," said Birch.

The Shell communication with the Greenpeace activists aboard the
Brent Spar came late yesterday in a broadcast to the rig, and a
fax to Greenpeace in London.  Shell warned that no entry to
enclosed areas should be undertaken; external walkways were
unsafe; there was no fire equipment on the rig; air monitoring
should be continuously carried out; no 'tampering' with closed
doors should be undertaken, nor navigation equipment be
interfered with.

Birch said that not only did Greenpeace have its own firefighting
equipment, air monitoring equipment and very experienced people,
but it also had Shell's own operations manual for the Brent Spar,
which spelt out the detail of the installation and the dangerous
areas.  Shell's assertion that Greenpeace was "unfamiliar" with
the installation was therefore unfounded.

But Birch said that Shell was operating under its usual double
standards, using one set of rules where it could get away with
them and another where it couldn't.

"In the United States' waters, where Shell operates in the Gulf
of Mexico, all abandoned platforms must be removed within one
year of decommissioning.  This thing has been sitting here in the
North Sea, unused, for four years."

He also noted that in the Gulf of Mexico, Shell must remove all
installations like the Brent Spar onto land.  The option of
dumping is only ever used in extreme circumstances and when all
other options have been ruled out.  Shell has researched the
disposal of the Brent Spar on land and it is perfectly feasible,
both technically and in terms of cost-effectiveness.

ENDS

For information:  Cindy Baxter Greenpeace Communications 44 171
833 0600 or call Tim Birch on the Brent Spa:  00 871 682 322 022.