Contact Site Phone on 07733 190958 or 0794 4954772
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9.2.07 NEW GAS PIPELINE THREATENS WORLD CLASS NATIONAL PARK
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has announced consent to building the
second phase of UK’s largest high pressure gas pipeline, through a protected
national park.
The 122 mile section will pass through part of the Brecon Beacons National Park in
South Wales, despite repeated objections from the National Park Authority. The
park is home to rare wildlife, providing beauty and spiritual refreshment for
millions of visitors from across the UK and beyond.
Built by National Grid, the pipe is one of a number of new gas infrastructure
projects to allow the importation of gas into the UK. Conditions have been put in
place for the restoration of the natural environment, to the extent that is
possible. Energy minister Lord Truscott said the potential impact of the pipeline
on the beacons had been "uppermost" in his mind as he granted approval.
The park contains some of the most sensitive environmental areas in the UK,
including Fforest Fawr Geopark, awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO, and
special areas of conservation like the Usk and Wye Valleys. Ruth Chambers, Head
of Policy at the Council for National Parks said “We question the strategic
planning behind this decision. The government must consider all of the potential
impacts of major energy projects."
ENDS
Contact – Emma Lord 07799057609 emajlord@yahoo.co.uk
Notes for Journalists
1 The pipe will link Terminals at Milford Haven, South Wales
with the national network at Milford Haven, Gloucestershire. Liquid Natural Gas
(LNG) will be imported into Milford Haven by ship from Qatar in the Middle East
and Malaysia. This is part of the UK’s move from being a net exporter to a net
importer of energy as the North Sea gas fields are used up.
2 This will help secure energy supplies for the next 25 year
and provide short term economic benefits, although they will not provide a
sustainable solution to the energy shortfall or address climate change.
3 Other LNG pipelines are being built across the world, eg in
South America there are projects being developed in Peru, Brazil and Venezuela
that will destroy large swathes of Amazon and indigenous communities.
4 The development has been allowed within the Brecon Beacons
National Park since it has been ruled a national energy security issue. Trade and
Industry Secretary Alistair Darling describes this as vital and points to a
‘compelling economic case for speeding up planning decisions on new gas import and
storage facilities.’
5 There has been a campaign against this pipeline for the last
two years, local residents complain of ‘lack of consultation’ and are seriously
concerned over the safety of the project. National Grid was all set to use
explosives within the UK’s largest earthquake zone at Trebanos until a protest
within a section of the pipe last November drew attention to the fact that this
was dangerous.
6 Protests have continued at Trebanos and recently five people
were charged with aggravated trespass. Environmental protestors continue to brave
freezing conditions to campaign in woods near Brecon.
Links
Brecon Beacons National Park: http://www.breconbeacons.org/Pipeline%20Consent
Council for National Parks: http://www.cnp.org.uk/press_release/07-02-07.html
DTI:
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=262409&NewsA…
National Grid: www.nationalgrid.com
Contact – Emma Lord 07799057609 emajlord@yahoo.co.uk
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4.2.07 LOCAL RESIDENTS TO TURN OUT TO SUPPORT THE TREBANOS FIVE
THE FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE ARRESTED LAST THURSDAY ON A PUBLIC FOOTPATH IN TREBANOS ARE TO APPEAR AT NEATH LAW COURTS, FAIRFIELD WAY, NEATH, SA11 1RF TOMORROW AT 10AM.
LOCAL RESIDENTS OF TREBANOS AND OTHERS IN THE SWANSEA VALLEYS HAVE ARRANGED A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE COURTS TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE FIVE.
"THIS DEMONSTRATION WAS THE IDEA OF LOCAL PEOPLE IN TREBANOS WHO ARE FED UP OF THE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN TREATED BY NATIONAL GRID AND THEIR CONTRACTORS. THEY ARE ALSO TIRED OF WHAT MANY IN THE VILLAGE CLASS AS POLICE HARASSMENT. THE PIPELINE IS NOT WANTED BY THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH WALES, IT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH WALES." SAID ONE RESIDENT WHO LIVES ONLY MTRS AWAY FROM THE PIPELINE.
"THE FIVE WERE ARRESTED AND THEN CHARGED WITH BEING" SAT ON LAND AND REFUSING TO MOVE". THEY ARE THEN ACCUSED OF STOPPING WORK BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE ACT OF THEM SITTING DOWN. THEY WERE ASKED IF THEY WOULD MOVE ON AND WERE GIVEN 5 MINUTES TO DO SO. THEY WERE ARRESTED BEFORE THAT TIME LIMIT WAS UP. " ADDS MRS RACHEL EVANS, ALSO OF TREBANOS, WHO WOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE THE PROTESTERS AS HER OWN CHILDREN.
"THE AREA IN WHICH THEY WERE SAT WAS NOT IN THE WAY OF WORKERS OR MACHINERY. THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT THEIR PRESENCE ON THE FOOTPATH COULD HAVE STOPPED OR DISRUPTED WORK. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE CONSIDERING THE WAY NATIONAL GRID AND NACAP HAVE BEHAVED RECENTLY. THEY HAVE LIFTED HEAVY CONCRETE COLLARS OVER THE HEADS OF PROTESTERS , THEY HAVE DELIBERATELY STARTED UP MACHINERY WITH INTENT TO HARM ( AND IN ONE CASE APPARENT ATTEMPTED MURDER ) WHILST PROTESTERS WERE CLAMPED TO IT. SO HAVING FIVE PEOPLE SAT OUT OF THE WAY ON A PUBLIC FOOTPATH SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THEM NO PROBLEM AT ALL."
POLICE CLAIM THAT THE LAND THEY WERE ON IS THE PROPERTY OF A MR ANDREW PETER TIPURIC OF TREBANOS. THIS IS BEING DISPUTED BY THE FIVE, AND BY OTHER LOCAL RESIDENTS. MR TIPURIC HAS PUT IN FOR PLANNING PERMISSION TO BUILD ALONG THE FOOTPATH ROUTE, A MOVE THAT IS BEING FIERCELY FOUGHT BY LOCAL PEOPLE IN TREBANOS.
MR JAN FRAYNE OF THE SAFE HAVEN NETWORK ADDED "IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO GET AN ARREST AND TO TRY AND MAKE EXAMPLES OF THESE FIVE PEOPLE. THERE IS ENOUGH INFORMATION AT HAND TO SHOW WHAT A TOTAL FARCE THIS IS AND ONCE AGAIN IT SHOWS THAT NATIONAL GRID THINK THEY CAN USE OUR LOCAL POLICE FORCE AS THEIR OWN PRIVATE SECURITY TEAM."
"PHASE ONE OF THIS RIDICULOUS PROJECT IS STILL NOT COMPLETE, AS CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN BY ANYONE. NATIONAL GRID HAVE ALREADY THREATENED TO SUE LOCAL RESIDENTS IN SOUTH WALES SHOULD THEIR WORK BE DISRUPTED FURTHER. I THINK THAT THEY ARE NOW SHOWING THEIR TRUE COLOURS. THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN PROFIT AND CERTAINLY NOT THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE ALONG THE ROUTE OF THIS ENVIRONMENT-DESTROYING, HIGH CARBON PRODUCING DINOSAUR PROJECT."
ENDS
CONTACTS :-
JAN FRAYNE 07973 619183
RACHEL EVANS 07790450747
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Safe Haven Network Press Release 31-01-2007
Police have today arrested 5 people who were trying to use the public footpath to
get from Trebanos to Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley. The footpath runs through
the construction site of National Grids controversial 48" pipeline.
The footpath had been illegally closed off by Neath Port Talbot CBC. A notice was
put up last Thursday giving 7 days notice of closure. This notice was however not
dated.
Three girls have been taken to Swansea Police Station, two boys to Neath.
It is quite obvious that our local police force has become National Grids private
security team. Intimidation by the police and National Grid / Nacap workers has
become an almost everyday occurrence.
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26.1.07 At 2.00 pm today a group of campaigners against the controversial LNG
pipeline forced work to stop yet again on the construction site at Trebanos. The
campaigners occupied a footpath running through the site. They argued that
the footpath had been closed illegally because the required seven days
notification had not been given. Even local residents had not been informed of the
closure. One resident, Steve, aged 57, said "I walked down the path this
morning on my way to work and I was not told anything about the closure but when
I tried to come home I was annoyed to find the path blocked."
Initially, the police tried to stop protestors gaining access to the
footpath, however, they had to admit that they were uncertain of the legality of the
path closure.
One campaigner said, "our main objections to the pipeline are on the grounds
of the environmental destruction, climate change and the safety of residents
and locals communities along the pipeline. For example, the gas in the
pipeline will be odourless, making it very difficult to detect leaks. There have
also been concerns raised over the quality of the welds of the pipeline.
In Trebanos there are particular safety concerns because the pipeline is
passing through an area which has been extensively mined for over three hundred
years. This means that there is increased risk of landslip. It's also a myth
that gas is a clean fuel. Since this gas has been imported from the Middle
East in liquid form, it is nearly as carbon intensive as coal".
Prior to today’s action, work on the construction site had been stopped for
three weeks by campaigners occupying the footpath. Resistance to the pipeline
is growing, with protest sites and actions against the pipeline increasing
daily. The latest direct action site is a tree camp in Brecon occupying the
route of the pipeline. One campaigner, known as Leek, said "We will continue
to take action to halt the building of this costly, unnecessary and unsafe
pipeline. We will fight to the end."
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25.1.07: PLEASE ARE THIS MORNING ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE PROTESTORS FROM THE PUBLIC FOOTPATH IN TREBANOS.
THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY HAVE TO GET OFF THE PATH BY 9 AM.
PROTESTORS HAVE TIED THEMSELVES TO MACHINERY AND GATES.
THIS IS AN ILLEGAL EVICTION AND THE FOOTPATH CLOSURE HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE
CORRECT CHANNELS.
"THIS IS A VIOLATION OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS" SAID ONE PROTESTOR.
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25.1.07: 'We are a village under seige. Even knowing in advance how these companies work, from the village of Waterston with all their warnings, we are helpless in the face of huge transporters and 8 wheel tippers which multiply daily. Yes we knew what was
coming and we begged, we proved facts, we worked as hard as it was possible to work
to stop this machine from rolling over us. Nine tenths of the village are hiding
under stones the others are in the front line and I am deathly afraid for them. The
curfews for the schools are being broken as they can. Photographs are taken and
people in power ignore them as they do us, the affected. What is this power, are we
a democracy? Are these faceless people in power working for the common good ? We
have fought on the road for justice for 14 days, we will go to the High Court in
London next week to beg as have our forefathers before us for justice for Wales and
the Welsh. Not the crachach but the common man of Wales who wants no more than he
has, who will survive as he has done for centuries in the face of exploitation and
greed. There but for the grace of God go I they say. We believe in the grace of God
also and we believe that where there is a Court and where there are people who will
stand up for justice and make their voices heard a cry will be answered eventually.
It is not a cry into the wilderness. We are not wilderness people. We are in your
heart, we are your soul and your conscience. We have an elected Government that is
bound morally and legally to work for the good of the greatest will. It is now our
duty for our children's sakes to ensure that the power over them in their time is
one that has common good at it's core.'
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22.1.07 Up in the treetops.....
Following support from local people in Brecon at the weekend, a new protest camp
has been set up right in the middle of the phase two route of National Grid's
controversial pipeline. The protest camp is up in the trees in woodland 4 miles
west of Brecon on the A40 close to Bettws Penpont church.
The woodland is scheduled for decimation by National Grid to clear a path for the
48" high pressure gas pipeline. The protesters aim to stop the destruction of yet
more ancient woodland by National Grid and its contractors.
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