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Shell EP Ireland has been given a three-month extension to
submit a revised application to An Bord Pleanála for the controversial
Corrib gas pipeline route in Co Mayo.
On November 3rd last, the planning board determined almost
half the proposed route was “unacceptable” on safety grounds
and directed Shell to examine an alternative partial route
up Sruwaddacon Bay, away from housing.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
challenged parts of An Bord Pleanála’s handling of the issue
in a letter on January 20th. In the letter, aspects of the
November decision are criticised - particularly the 'risk
assessment methodology espoused in the Board’s letter'
to Shell. The department’s chief technical officer, Bob Hanna,
said this is based “solely on consequence”.
“To illustrate by way of example, a ‘consequence only’
approach means that one would have to design and build an
aircraft which would protect its passengers from harm when
it crashes,” the letter stated.
Rossport resident Monica Muller questioned Shell’s intention
of bringing the pipe up the bay. “In the board’s decision
of November 2nd last, they directed Shell to examine the possibility
of redirecting part of the high-pressure pipeline route up
Sruwaddacon Bay - thus bringing it away from houses in Glengad,
Aughoose and Rossport. But Shell has not referred to this
in any of the correspondence since to the board,” Ms Muller
said.
Source - The Irish Times
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