Rossport: One Week on Road Block Continues with more drama in the compound, plus court details

mayo | environment | news report Tuesday June 28, 2005 16:23 by Terry, plus long distance report from John M. - Shell to Sea info at shelltosea dot com

Narrow roads, septic tanks and the four courts, the saga continues, one week into the Shell truck blockade.

A number of local residents made an appointment to meet Paddy Mahon, Mayo CoCo senior engineer, in the Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim compound in Rossport this morning about 11 a.m. This relates to the discovery last week of a septic tank in the compound. This is as under planning law a septic tank cannot be excluded from planning permission - this one doesn't have permission and is also too close to the estuary to be legal.

The tank had evidence of tampering with, and Mahon claimed it was just a 'storage facility' as he had been told by the developers in the first place. However the residents refused to accept this as they had evidence to the contrary - basically a septic tank has to have a pipe going in and one going out, a storage unit only the one going in, and there was an effort to obscure the outflow pipe.

The residents refused to move until Mahon - who had left - came back out and their concerns were satisfied. The Garda were called and there was a bit of noise about tresspassing, ultimatly Mahon came back and currently a JCB is unearthing the septic tank. Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim have now changed their story to saying that the facility was designed as a spetic tank, but not used as one.

Meanwhile the vigil on the road preventing trucks from entering the compound in protest at the complete lack of a traffic management plan is continuing and is now a week old. Supporters from Louth, Galway, and Ballina have joined residents and more are very welcome.


Tomorrow is court day: High Court this Wednesday 29th June at 11am. Ask at Four Courts reception
which court is hearing Shell Oil V's McGrath and others.
Details here: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70442

Shell are seeking the imprisonment of Willie Corduff, Micheal O'Seighin (who is 65 years old and had a triple by-pass in 2001) – pictures of both of these men are here: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70173 and the imprisonment of Brendan Philbin and Philip McGrath – an interview with these men is here:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70185
and the imprisonment of Vincent McGrath, retired school teacher and traditional musician who lives just opposite the pipeline route.

A presence is very welcome inside and outside the courtroom, should they be imprisoned meet outside Mountjoy at 7.30pm.

This evening there is a meeting in Dublin: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70487