Put pressure on Corrib Gas project subcontractors

mayo | environment | news report Sunday June 07, 2009 01:42 by tom thumb - the league of grumpy bastards

This is a request for people to put pressure on Van Oord to help force them from Broadhaven Bay.Van Oord is the company contracted by Shell to carry out dredging work for the off-shore gas pipeline. Today (5/06/09), when activists from the Solidarity Camp occupied one of Van Oord’s two dredging machines, the “Razende Bol”, they were met by severe violence from Shell security aboard the ships. One protester was thrown overboard by two security guards. (See: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92596 or youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC7xrRQHQ6k ). Following this incident the Van Oord ships stopped working and left the area. Despite official statements from Van Oord claiming that they left due to bad weather, a Shell security guard told people that their departure was due to protester action and that Van Oord were unwilling to work with the reckless Shell security endangering protesters and compromising workers safety.

Van Oord pride themselves on having high health and safety standards (see below); they have stated that they do not want to work in the area if there is “trouble”. It seems likely that placing pressure on the company may help persuade them to halt their work in the bay completely. Below are contact details for Van Oord. Please get in touch with them letting them know that people are aware of their actions in Broadhaven Bay, both their complicity with Shell security violence on their ships and their role in the destruction of Broadhaven Bay SAC (Special Area of Conservation).

Head office
PO Box 85743009 AN Rotterdam The Netherlands
Visiting address: Watermanweg 643067 GG Rotterdam The Netherlands
Phone 31 10 4478444
Email: info@vanoord.com

Van Oord UK Ltd
Lockside Place, Mill Lane, Newbury RG14 5QS Berks United Kingdom
Visiting address: Lockside Place, Mill Lane, Newbury RG14 5QS Berks U.K.
Phone: +44 1635 529101
Email: infogb@vanoord.com

This is a contact for their 'newsroom', i.e. Media and PR:
A.G.M. (Bert) Groothuizen
Manager Marketing & Public Relations
Telephone: 31 10 4478234
Fax: 31 10 4478100
Email: info@vanoord.com

Van Oord Website statement on their safety protocols:

“Safety is a key indicator of our success.” Their QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Department) “also records accidents, incidents and near-misses, monitors corrective actions and conducts inspections on all health and safety matters”. (It might be good to ask to be put through to this department when calling).

Also, “Every year Van Oord presents two safety awards. One for a project team and one for the crew of the vessel. Both have demonstrated their desire to invest in a safer future.”

Allseas

Allseas are the company that own the Solitaire. The Solitaire is expected to arrive within the next month. It would be good if people could also put pressure on them before they get here:

http://www.allseas.com/uk

Allseas UK Limited
Address: Knyvett House The Causeway
City: Staines, Middlesex
Postcode: TW18 3BA
Telephone: +44 1784 898038
Fax: +44 1784 898030