A FORMAL complaint against Shell EP Ireland and its Corrib gas partners has been submitted by a north Mayo community group to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
OECD representation in the Netherlands received the submission in Amsterdam yesterday from Pobal Chill Chomáin, an Erris residents’ group, which supports a compromise proposal for the Corrib gas refinery.
The submission requests OECD involvement in finding an alternative solution to safe processing of the gas ashore.
Peace and justice group Afri and a French counterpart non-governmental organisation, Sherpa, facilitated the lodging of the complaint, which claims that the project violates OECD guidelines for multinational companies.
Shell EP Ireland said that it had no knowledge of the complaint yesterday.
The complaint was made as tensions remained high at Glengad, Co Mayo, yesterday, where work is taking place to prepare the landfall for the Corrib gas offshore pipeline. Eight Shell to Sea activists were arrested on Thursday for public order offences, but were later released without charge.
Supt John Gilligan of Belmullet Garda station has expressed concern about the risks being taken by the protesters.
The Garda and private security supplied to Shell maintained a security cordon on the beach yesterday as work continued. Supt Gilligan said that there were no plans to close off the public beach, unless public order and safety considerations necessitated this.
The 300m (984ft) pipelaying vessel Solitaire is due to start laying the offshore pipe next week, but a group of fishermen in Broadhaven Bay have said that they will not move their gear located there as they have a constitutional right to fish.
Skipper and fishing company owner Pat O’Donnell said that he was calling on the State to protect his constitutional right to fish under licence, and he and several fishermen intended to maintain a vigil to ensure that their gear was not lifted.
