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minister rejects Mass Call for Oil Inquiry
24 April 1996
Friends of the Earth has condemned Transport Minister Steven Norris's refusal in the House of Commons this afternoon to set up an independent inquiry into the Sea Empress oil disaster off the Welsh Coast in February.
This is despite a petition numbering over 100,000 signatories demanding such an inquiry, which was handed in to 10 Downing Street earlier today by Friends of the Earth, the RSPB and local MP for Pembroke, Nick Ainger.
In a parliamentary debate on the Sea Empress accident, the Minister claimed that the internal inquiry being conducted by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the Department of Transport is independent enough. He also implied that the vast majority of those who signed did not understand the issue.
Anna Stanford, Friends of the Earth, said:
"It is unacceptable that the inquiry into one of the the worst oil spills in British waters will be conducted internally. The public will not be satisfied, as the Department of Transport is, in effect, investigating its own conduct."
There has been a widespread call for the Government to invite Lord Donaldson, who conducted the inquiry into the Braer oil spil, to give an independent opinion on circumstances surrounding the Sea Empress disaster.
ENDS
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Sep 2008
