SAFETY ISSUES RAISED AS BP AND STENA TAKE FIRST MOVES TO HALT GREENPEACE OCCUPATION
14 August 1997
New safety concerns have been raised about the activists living within the survival capsule attached by Greenpeace to the Stena Dee oil platform in the NorthEast Atlantic.
At around midday yesterday personnel, believed to be from Stena, climbed down to the platform from beneath which the capsule is suspended. The three occupants of the capsule retreated inside, unsure about the intentions of the Stena staff.
The personnel then began banging on the capsule, which they maintained for some time causing additional stress to the occupants. Later the individuals apparently began to interfere with the ropes attaching the capsule to the platform.
Concerned that any interference with the rigging might pose a safety threat to the activists, the MV Greenpeace sent four trained climbers across to the platform in an inflatable, with the intention of checking the ropes. They were denied access to the platform by a man blocking their path up the ladder.
Speaking to the Control Tower of the Stena Dee, the captain of the MV Greenpeace and the chief climber in the inflatable asked that they be allowed to check the ropes for safety reasons. They were denied access.
Responding to a letter from Stena Drilling in Aberdeen, Greenpeace raises the issue of responsibility and notes that, "In your fax you state that 'Stena can take no responsibility for the safety of your (Greenpeace) staff'". The letter continues, "However, your employees' failure to ensure that our safety experts can gain access to the capsule makes its impossible for Greenpeace to ensure the safety of the operation. Unless and until access is given to our safety personnel, Stena will be responsible for the safety of the entire operation and liable for any and all damage which occurs."
An earlier letter from Stena's parent company in Sweden indicated that since the platform is contracted by oil companies, they are responsible for its actions. Greenpeace has since asked for clarification about who is in charge of the staff of the Stena Dee: oil companies or Stena?
The arrival on Monday of BP staff and boats at the scene of the occupation suggested an escalation in the oil industry's response to the situation and yesterday afternoon BP claims to have served writs on the three occupants of the capsule and the Masters of the MV Greenpeace and the MV Rainbow C. Greenpeace is not aware that any writs have been served.
Deputy Executive Director of Greenpeace, Chris Rose, said, "We are concerned about the safety of our people inside the capsule and it is completely unacceptable that Stena is preventing us from checking the ropes they interfered with. Banging on the capsule for long periods is irresponsible and heavy handed and seems designed to add to their stress and discomfort of the activists."
This is the fifth day of the occupation and the Stena Dee is again at an effective standstill, unable to reach the border of the Foinaven field as Greenpeace swimmers are consistently deployed each time the vessel attempts to reach it.
The occupation is designed to stop BP's Foinaven field from making progress towards production of new oil. The Stena Dee was on route to the field to carry out important work on of the field's manifolds, hooking up oil carrying pipes. The occupation is part of Greenpeace's global campaign to protect the climate from dangerous levels of carbon dioxide emissions, by preventing new reserves of oil being opened up.
Yesterday in the Arctic, another Frontier where new oil reserves are to be exploited, Greenpeace halted an ARCO oil platform which was on route to begin drilling. That action is still going on. Ends
Note to correspondents:
Copies of the letters to and from Stena Drilling available on request.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Greenpeace Press Office on +44 (0)171-865 8255/6/7/8