Court Forces Delay in Brent Spar Dumping

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

COURT FORCES FURTHER DELAY IN BRENT SPAR DUMPING -


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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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COURT FORCES FURTHER DELAY IN BRENT SPAR DUMPING -
NO "WARRANT TO EVICT" GREENPEACE GRANTED

LONDON, Thursday, 18 May 1995 (GP)--Shell failed to obtain a
warrant to evict Greenpeace activists from the Brent Spar
today.  At a hearing at the Edinburgh Court of Session, the
Judge said he wanted more time to consider his decision.  He
will reconvene the court tomorrow at 10am.

In court, Shell confirmed that they had booked contractors to
begin the decommissioning of the toxic-laden platform this
weekend.  They claimed they would be losing money if they were
made to wait any longer.

"The Greenpeace occupation of the Brent Spar is, so far, the
only thing stopping Shell from dumping the Brent Spar at sea,"
said Greenpeace campaigner, Simon Reddy, from the court.

"By going to the courts, Shell are trying to get legal
sanction for what we believe is a blatantly illegal act - the
dumping at sea of highly toxic waste which threatens the
marine
environment," said Reddy.

International outcry - from the Belgian, Icelandic, and Danish
Governments as well as the European Commissioner for the
Environment - is mounting against the dumping of the Brent
Spar.
"Shell are in a desperate race against time - their only
interest is in saving money by dumping their toxic-laden
rubbish before the UK Government, forced to face up to the
international outcry at the North Sea Conference, is tempted
to revoke the licence.  If they succeed the loser will be the
marine environment."
Tomorrow Greenpeace goes to the High Court in London to seek
leave for a Judicial Review to challenge the legality of the
licence to dump granted to Shell by the UK Government.  If
this court action is successful it will stop Shell from
carrying out the dumping.  Greenpeace believes the plan to
dump at sea is illegal.  It is in direct breach of several
international
conventions to which the UK Government is party, and it has
been agreed without proper consideration of the on-shore
disposal option.

For more information contact Simon Reddy - 0374 695 814; or
Sue Cooper - 0171 359 9980.
Desley Mather ++44 171 833 0600

EDITOR'S NOTE

The Greenpeace activists on board the Brent Spar are into
their 19th day, preventing a serious act of marine pollution.

Ministers at the North Sea Conference (June 8th/9th) will
discuss measures to eliminate discharges of hazardous
substances into the North Sea.  The Brent Spar is laden with
some of these hazardous substances.  It is an insult to the
other North Sea States that on the eve of the Conference the
UK plans to unleash a whole new source of seriously polluting
hazardous substances into the sea.