ERIKA OIL SPILL: GREENPEACE PROVIDES HELP TO LOCAL VOLUNTEERS; TOTAL FINA FAILING IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO HELP

29 December 1999

Brittany (France) -- As oil from the tanker Erika comes ashore on the coast of Brittany, Total Fina have failed to provide adequate help to receive the oil removed from the beaches despite their commitments. Local volunteers and the local authorities are doing what they can and are using a temporary pre-storage area at a local airport which is just a big hole dug in the ground.

Elf's (1) refinery at nearby Donges has been taking recovered oil from trucks which have been driven from the area, but again the effort is being largely undertaken by volunteers.

In a bid to help the situation, Greenpeace today started the delivery of containers to store the oil. Greenpeace marked these containers with a logo reading "TOTALly irresponsible – FINAlly guilty "This delivery can only be an interim measure to help," said Frederic Claveau, Greenpeace campaigner from Brittany, "but Total Fina, the 4th largest oil company in the world, should be providing their facilities to receive the oil - they have tankers, barrels and equipment which should have been here from the start."

"Everyone has known for days that this oil would hit the beach and need recovering. Total Fina should have used this time to get their tankers and equipment here to help," said Bruno Rebelle, Executive Director of Greenpeace France. "Instead, they have left the dirty job to volunteers and the local authorities. Considering Total Fina careless attitude, Demaret’s declaration [PDG of Total] to offer one day of his salary to an environmental group fighting against the effects of the oil spill is an insult to all those volunteers who have been trying to clear this environmental disaster over the past days".

Paul Horsman, Greenpeace International oil campaigner, also speaking from Brittany, added: "Total Fina are responsible for this spill but now they are not accepting their moral responsibility to help. It is unacceptable that the oil industry simply expects others to clean up after their mess."

Greenpeace will be delivering the first batch of containers to Le Croisic, departement 44 at 10.30 Beach Port Lin.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
- Paul Horsman, Greenpeace International, +44 780 12 12 990 (in Brittany)
- Frederic Claveau, Greenpeace France, (+33) 06 09 09 89 26 (in Brittany)
- Bruno Rebelle, Greenpeace France Executive Director, (+33) 06 16 12 14 79 (in Paris)
- Video and stills available showing the oil reception facilities (+33) 06 0736 51 43