Responding to the publication of
Cairn Energy’s controversial Arctic oil spill response plan, which was at the
centre of a campaign of direct action over the summer, Greenpeace oil campaigner
Ben Ayliffe
said:
“There’s a lot of spin here, but
very little to allay the concerns of experts and analysts who believe a BP-style
blow-out would wreck the fragile Arctic environment and its fisheries. Cairn
never wanted to release this document, they were forced to by international
outrage from tens of thousands of people who bombarded them with emails. In a
classic PR move they’ve now published the plan late in the day European time.
Our experts will now analyse it and fully expect it to confirm what the UK
government said in private documents, that an Arctic spill would be "near
impossible" to clean up (1). Nothing we’ve seen causes us to disagree with that
opinion. It’s time for the oil companies to leave the Arctic.”
Greenpeace will now analyse the 214
page document and publish its own audit of it in the coming
days.
ENDS
Greenpeace – 0207 865 8255
Ben
Ayliffe – 07815
708683
Notes:
(1) UK government - "It is difficult
to get assistance in case of pollution problems in such areas, and near
impossible to make good damage caused."
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/sites/files/gpuk/20110523112247050.pdf
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/sites/files/gpuk/SCN_0002.pdf
Candian oil spill response firm – “there is really no solution or method today that we’re aware of that can actually recover [spilt] oil from the Arctic”
Pew – “oil industry not prepared for the Arctic, the plans are thoroughly inadequate”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/11/arctic-oil-spill-plans
US Coastguard - "we have extremely limited Arctic response capabilities"
