GREENPEACE RESPONSE TO THE UK GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL THAT DUMPING THE BRENT SPAR REMAINS AN OPTION

LONDON, 20 July 1995--The proposal to dump the Brent Spar in the North Atlantic was greeted by widespread public opposition. At last month's Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPARCOM) meeting, 11 out of 13 countries agreed a moratorium on the dumping of offshore installations, pending agreement on a outright ban.

The opposition to dumping the Brent Spar was based on the following facts:

(i) There has been no formal inventory of the Brent Spar's contents, so the environmental impacts could not possibly be properly assessed.

(ii) There is a lack of understanding of the deep sea environment, and it is currently impossible to predict the effects of the proposed dumping on deep sea ecosystems.

(iii) The documents which supported Shell's licence application are highly conjectural in nature. They contain numerous unsubstantiated assumptions, minimal data and extrapolations from unnamed studies.

(iv) Dumping the Brent Spar would create a precedent for dumping other contaminated structures in the sea and would undermine current international agreements. The environmental effects of further dumping would be cumulative.

v) Dismantling of the Brent Spar is technically feasible and offshore engineering firms believe they can do it safely and effectively. The necessary facilities are already routinely in use and decommissioning of many other oil installations has already been carried out elsewhere in the world.

(vi) To protect the environment, the principle of minimising the generation of wastes should be upheld and harmful materials always recycled, treated or contained.

Greenpeace believes Shell UK were right in not dumping the Brent Spar. This view is supported by most governments in Europe and a vast majority of the public. There will always be scientific debate, but in the arena of this debate the principle of precautionary action is applied and the benefit of the doubt given to the environment.

"It is no longer acceptable to simply dump and see what might happen," said Greenpeace campaigner Paul Horsman. "With land- based disposal options available, the proposal to dump is the irresponsible route," Horsman said.

If you need any more information contact: Paul Johnston +44 1392 263917 Paul Horsman +31 653 112925, or +44 385 342917 Desley Mather +44 171 833 0600