Pipeline protests gather strength

15.01.2007

Active oppo­si­tion is under­way against the South Wales LNG pipeline in three sep­a­rate loca­tions. Objec­tions to Nation­al Grid’s con­tro­ver­sial project are spurred by lack of con­su­la­tion, safe­ty fears, envi­ron­menal issues and cli­mate change con­cerns. Protests grow stronger day by day, sup­port­ed by long term cam­paign­ing, cre­at­ing a spir­it­ed and uni­fied resis­tance.

Pipeline flier15.01.2007

Active oppo­si­tion is under­way against the South Wales LNG pipeline in three sep­a­rate loca­tions. Objec­tions to Nation­al Grid’s con­tro­ver­sial project are spurred by lack of con­su­la­tion, safe­ty fears, envi­ron­menal issues and cli­mate change con­cerns. Protests grow stronger day by day, sup­port­ed by long term cam­paign­ing, cre­at­ing a spir­it­ed and uni­fied resis­tance.

SLOW WALKING

Today saw set­backs to the progress of the South Wales LNG Pipeline for the sec­ond week run­ning. Work was delayed at three sep­a­rate sites along the gigan­tic 115 mile route way, by a grow­ing anti-pipe move­ment. The pipeline is part of a mas­sive Nation­al Grid project to lay a 115-mile pipeline from Mil­ford Haven to Tire­ly in Glouces­ter­shire. The project has sparked con­tro­ver­sy and oppo­si­tion from the onset.

Machin­ery at Tre­banos is denied access by a protest camp upon a pub­lic foot­path. Cur­rent­ly going strong, this has halt­ed work for eight days in a row, much to the ongo­ing frus­tra­tion of Nation­al Grid offi­cials. Active oppo­si­tion first began in Tre­banos last Novem­ber with an occu­pa­tion with­in the pipe itself.

Inspired by this pro­tes­tors in Mil­ford Haven have been camped on a pub­lic foot­path right in the path of the pipe since last Novem­ber.

Mean­while at Cil­frew, res­i­dents are using a walk­ing block­ade along the access road to the site, joined by vol­un­teers from across Britain. This, backed up by a detailed knowl­edge of reg­u­la­tions and the area is prov­ing most effec­tive. Actions are con­tin­u­ing as they have every­day since Thurs­day.

Sup­port­ing writ­ten cam­paigns are at con­stant work to back up the direct actions.

Oppo­nents say their inves­ti­ga­tions have led them to the con­clu­sion that it’s pure­ly prof­it led and dan­ger­ous­ly hasty. By the Health and Safe­ty Exec­u­tive’s own admis­sion there will be a hole in this pipeline dur­ing its life­time. The volatile safe­ty risks, envi­ron­men­tal destruc­tion and sig­nif­i­cant con­tri­bu­tion to cli­mate chaos are the price of Nation­al Grid being left unchecked to line their pock­ets. Cause for a sig­nif­i­cant and ever increas­ing num­ber of cit­i­zens to take action. These include local com­mu­ni­ties the length of the route, cam­paign group Safe Haven Net­work, cli­mate change groups such as Ris­ing Tide and those con­cerned with the des­e­cra­tion of mile after mile of beau­ti­ful land.

This wan­ton destruc­tion of our envi­ron­ment and our basic human rights can­not and will not be allowed to con­tin­ue. The local coun­cil turns a blind eye, hav­ing rid­den roughshod over the very peo­ple who vot­ed them in. Democ­ra­cy has van­ished into the mists. The police have become like Nation­al Grids own secu­ri­ty guards.

This is a bat­tle cry from the val­leys of Wales, come and join us, show the estab­lish­ment they can­not con­tin­ue to ignore us.

These voic­es will not die down. We grow stronger day by day, moral is high and the atmos­phere is over­whelm­ing­ly sup­port­ive. The local com­mu­ni­ty are keep­ing a very warm wel­come in the hill­sides!