Shell Fails to Obtain GP Eviction

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

   SHELL FAILS TO OBTAIN COURT'S CONSENT TO EVICT GREENPEACE


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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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   SHELL FAILS TO OBTAIN COURT'S CONSENT TO EVICT GREENPEACE
           Brent Spar occupation enters Day 20

LONDON, Friday, 19 May 1995--Shell failed today in a legal
attempt to remove all the Greenpeace activists occupying the
Brent Spar oil platform.  At a hearing at the Edinburgh Court
of Session, Lord Johnston ordered the ejection of one
protestor, Jonathan Castle.

The Judge refused to make an eviction order against the other
protestors aboard the rig because under Scots law the court
did not usually grant orders against unknown and unnamed
people.

Shell's failure to secure an eviction order against all the
Greenpeace protestors means that they are running out of time
in their battle to dump the Brent Spar.  This afternoon
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 by the UK Government.  If this court action is
successful it will stop Shell from carrying out the dumping.

Today's court ruling means that Messengers at Arms can now
board the Brent Spar and arrest Jonathan Castle.

"Shell has failed to get court backing to remove Greenpeace,"
said Greenpeace spokesperson Simon Reddy outside the court.
"The Greenpeace campaign will continue until Shell faces up to
its environmental obligations and drops its plan to abandon
tons of toxic waste at sea."

The Greepeace activists, all volunteers, will continue to
occupy the toxic-laden platform.  They will wait to see how
the warrant will be served and seek legal advice.

International pressure on the UK Government to revoke its
permission to allow Shell to dump the platform was stepped up
again last night, when the European Parliament adopted
resolutions opposing the planned dumping of the Brent Spar and
other offshore installations.  The Parliament said dumping the
installations would "deliberately pollute the marine
environment".

The European Parliament sent their objections to North Sea
Conference member states, asking them to take all possible
steps to prevent the dumping of the Brent Spar and the other
off shore platforms at their meeting in Denmark (June 8-9).

This adds to the growing list of protests from both within and
outside the UK.  In the past week, the EU Environment
Commissioner, the Belgian, Danish and Icelandic Governments
and the Labour UK Opposition Party have all objected to the
dumping.

ENDS

*    THE LATEST
The Norwegian Parliament has decided that the first Norwegian
oil rig about to be put out of service, will not be dumped but
taken ashore, dismantled and recycled.  The Energy and
Environment Committee of the Parliament announced this morning
that the first platform, in the Frigg field in the Norwegian
EEZ, would be dealt with onshore.

For more information:
Simon Reddy, Edinburgh 0374 695 814, Mary Morrison Shetland
01595 694 099, or Desley Mather 0171 833 0600