Brent Spar Licence "Dump Madness"

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

BRENT SPAR LICENCE "DUMP MADNESS" SAYS GREENPEACE

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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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BRENT SPAR LICENCE "DUMP MADNESS" SAYS GREENPEACE

LONDON Wednesday, 10th May 1995-(GP)-The Scottish Office
decision* to grant a licence to Shell to dump the Brent Spar
oil installation at sea is "outrageous environmental madness"
says Greenpeace.

By licencing the dumping of the Brent Spar the Government is
inviting the oil industry to tip the rest of its industrial
garbage into the Atlantic - this throws years of environmental
progress into reverse, says Greenpeace spokesperson Chris
Rose.

Greenpeace will continue to occupy the Brent Spar in peaceful
non-violent opposition to dumping it at sea, and demands that
the UK Government and Shell reverse their plans and take the
Spar ashore for dismantling instead.  Today is Day 11 for the
13 activists occupying the rusting platform.

"The Government is entirely hypocritical - it tells consumers
not to dump their old cars and fridges in the nearest pond but
it is hell-bent on allowing the oil industry to use the ocean
as a rubbish tip: it is a simple policy of environmental
abuse" says Rose.

The Government's justification for dumping is wholly flawed:
they have no idea of the environmental impacts of the toxic
and
radioactive contents of the Brent Spar at 2,000 metres depth,
and no way of monitoring it.  Nor has Shell carried out a
proper survey of the toxic contents of the Brent Spar.  This
is just old-fashioned irresponsible "out of sight - out of
mind" dumping.
By granting a licence to dump the UK opens itself to
international criticism and pressure at the forthcoming North
Sea Ministers Meeting, for which Heads of Delegation meet in
London Thursday/Friday this week.  Greenpeace has been invited
to make a submission to the meeting.

For more information contact:
Chris Rose, Shetland Islands 01595 6940999 or
Desley Mather, Greenpeace Communications 0171 833 0600

ENDS

EDITOR'S NOTES
* Parliamentary Answer 22658 to Tam Dalyell MP

The dumping of the Brent Spar is also against the spirit of
several international conventions that the UK is party to,
including the Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf,
London Convention and OSPAR Convention.