Rossport Solidarity Camp calls on campaigners to target contractors

international | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis

Tuesday April 04, 2006 11:46

by Eve - Rossport Solidarity Camp

097 20944

The Corrib gas project is synonymous with Shell, leading player in a consortium also featuring Statoil and Marathon Oil. While Shell as the dominant partner has played the biggest role so far in Corrib, there are many more companies involved in this discredited project. Most of the work on the project from the construction and design of the gas refinery to peat haulage and site security is subcontracted out to individual companies.

contractors involved in the project

Like Shell the sub contracted companies stand to profit by engaging with a project that is endangering people’s lives and destroying the environment. Already Carrowmore Lake (a special area of conservation) and the drinking water coming from it have been poisoned with aluminium from the refinery site, which is managed by Roadbridge. Employees of subcontractors have also been involved in intimidation of Erris residents opposing the project notably Maura Harrington.

While the three-way oil consortium retains the most interest in this project going ahead the subcontracted companies, with less at stake and therefore less to lose financially, are the weak link. With less to loose sub contracted companies are more likely to pull out of Corrib if they are subject to public pressure. Last summer the picketing of Statoil stations placed Statoil’s name alongside Shell in their involvement in Corrib, tarnishing the clean image of the Norwegian state company.

Irish companies, including semi-state companies, have been substantially involved in Corrib. Roadbridge who are responsible for the refinery site being perhaps the biggest, while other companies provide security, haulage and materials. Bord na Mona and Bord Gáis are also working on the project. Other companies involved are international or based abroad such as SICIM (which also has Irish offices), Allseas and Tideway based in Italy, Switzerland and Holland respectively. SICIM’s imported Italian workers being facilitated with signs in Italian reminding them what side of the road to drive on in Rossport, a Gaeltacht area.

COMPANIES BASED IN IRELAND

ROADBRIDGE;
Involvement; Construction of the terminal at Bellanaboy and onshore pipeline
More Info; Roadbridge are responsible for the Bellanaboy site, including toxic aluminium run off which is poisoning Carrowmore Lake an S.A.C. and the local drinking water supply. A Roadbridge engineer was recently involved in a hit and run crash on the outskirts of Belmullet. Two young women were involved one of which was seriously hurt. Said engineer was subsequently caught owing to his license plate being left at the scene of the crime.

Head Office:
Roadbridge Ltd.
Ballyclough,
Ballysheedy,
Co. Limerick,
Ireland
Phone: 00 353 61 414874
Fax: 00 353 61 414767
E-Mail: headoffice@roadbridge.ie

Dublin Regional Office
Roadbridge Ltd.
M1 Tougher Business Park
Naas,
Co Kildare
Phone: 00 353 45 440000
Fax: 00 353 45 440001
E-mail: dublin@roadbridge.ie

Galway Regional Office:
Roadbridge Ltd.
At Hanleys Yard,
Claregalway,
Co. Galway
Phone: 00 353 91 799482
Fax: 00 353 91 799484
E-mail: galway@roadbridge.ie

SICIM;
Involvement; Provision of Design Verification, Design Completion and Construction of 9 Km Onshore Gas Transmission Pipeline for the Corrib Project, West of Ireland.
More Info; SICIM is a Construction Company established in 1962 and offering all type of services related to the installation of pipelines and relevant ancillary facilities for the transmission and distribution of oil, gas and water on international basis. It is an Italian company, based in Parma but with offices in France, Spain, India, Kazakhstan and Libya. Sicim has several two Irish based companies, Sicim Ireland Ltd and Sicim-Roadbridge Ltd based in Dublin, Galway and Limerick.

In 2004 Sicim Ireland Ltd was fined €50,000 at Ennis Circuit Court following a fatal accident on a construction site in Clarecastle, Co. Clare in which the side supports of an excavation collapsed trapping the employee.
http://www.hsa.ie/publisher/index.jsp?&1nID=93&2nID=104...D=365

SICIM ROADBRIDGE LTD
Registered Office:
1 Mount Kennett Place
Henry Street
Limerick – Ireland
phone: +353 61 414874
fax: +353 61 414767
e-mail: roadbridge@indigo.ie

SICIM IRELAND LTD
Registered Office:
Ulysses House, Foley Street
Dublin 1 - Ireland
phone: +353 1 8881004
fax: +353 1 8881005

Site Office:
Lackagh, Turloughmore
Co. Galway – Ireland
phone: +353 91 737081
fax: +353 91 737048

Head Office
Via Consolatico Superiore, 96/98
43011 Busseto - PARMA - ITALY

Telephone; +39-0524-930211
Email; commercialdpt@sicimspa.com
Leonardo Gravina (General Manager) lgravina@sicimspa.com
Alberto Ciampichetti (President Assistant) aciampichetti@sicimspa.com

BRENDAN GILMORE SECURITY;
Involvement; Provision of site security.
More info; Mr. Gilmore, owner of the company is a former garda and Progressive Democrat Town Councillor for Longford. Employees of Mr. Gilmore have been recently involved in intimidation of Shell to Sea campaigner Maura Harrington.

Address (Brendan Gilmore);
Laurel Avenue,
Longford
Phone; 087 2405406

Address (Brendan Gilmore Security);
53 Teffia Park,
Longford
Phone; +353 43 48256

Lennon Quaries; provide stone for the service route for work on the pipeline.
Address; 2 Glencastle,
Bunnahowen,
Ballina.
Phone; 097 81823/ 097 81297

ETI SECURITY;
Involvement; provision of CCTV cameras on the project compounds.
Address;
Glebe Street,
Ballinrobe,
Co Mayo,
Phone: 1850 393939

BALLINA MOBILEHOMES AND PORTACABINS;
Involvement; This company provides the portacabins at the Rossport compound.
Phone:096 36812/ 087 2466508
Fax: 096 22211

BORD NA MONA;
Involvement; BNM maintain removed bog from the Ballinaboy site, where the refinery is to go, at their peat storage location in Srahmore.
More info; Several accidents have already occurred where the removal is concerned. http://www.indymedia.ie/article/69628. Residents also fear that deposition of such a large quantity, 450,000 cubic metres, of this unstable material would lead to landslides.

Address;
Bord na Móna Plc.
Main Street,
Newbridge,
Co Kildare
Phone: +353 45 439000
Fax: +353 45 439001

BORD GAIS;
Involvement; building of the interconnector pipeline, running from Mayo to Galway.
Bord Gáis Headquarters
P.O.Box 51
Gasworks Road
Cork
Tel: 021-4534000
Fax: 021-4534001

Other offices:
Foley Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 01 602 1212
Fax: 01 602 1462

Bord Gáis
Dock Road
Limerick
Tel: 061-208 400
Fax: 061 - 208 422

Bord Gáis
Kilcohan,Waterford
Tel: 051-302 500
Fax: 051-302 512