Archived press release

Oil Community Says No to Dirty Fuel and Yes to Clean Energy

9 May 1996

An independent opinion poll published today shows that local people in Pembrokeshire - the community hit by the Sea Empress oil spill - oppose controversial plans to import orimulsion from Venezuela to burn at Pembroke Power Station [1]. The survey, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, shows that a vast majority believe an application by Milford Haven Port Authority to build a jetty to import the new, dirty fuel should be turned down by the local council. Three in four Pembrokeshire residents (75%)want a full public inquiry into the whole orimulsion proposal.

The survey is published as Pembrokeshire County Council considers an application to build the orimulsion jetty in a proposed Special Area of Conservation, and as National Power reconsiders the future of its plans to convert Pembroke Power Station to the cheap fuel. Last month similar plans were thrown out by authorities in Florida, USA, because of the unaccceptable pollution risks.

Gordon James, Head of Campaigns, FOE Cymru, said;

"National Power and the Port Authority cannot claim that local people are behind the orimulsion plans. This area has been hit badly by the Sea Empress oil spill. The community will not let the promise of jobs blind them to the health and environmental risks of this dangerous fuel."

Friends of the Earth is concerned about the threat to health and marine life from orimulsion, which contains a toxic gender-bender' chemical. Unlike normal oil, orimulsion does not float on the surface, but disperses in water, making it almost impossible to clean up. If National Power's plans go ahead, a 150,000-tonne tanker laden with orimulsion will dock every ten days at Milford Haven. Environmentalists are also concerned about the risks to health from the release of toxic dust when orimulsion is burned in power stations.

The survey results are also damning of the way in which the Sea Empress oil spill was handled. Nine out of ten (90%) believe the incident was handled badly and 72% say it was handled very badly. An overwhelming majority (83%) support greater use of cleaner, renewable energy, including wind and solar power.

Gordon James concluded;

"It is clear that an overwhelming majority of local people want a public inquiry into orimulsion and do not want the council to approve the jetty application. We hope that Pembrokeshire's councillors will reflect these views when they vote on the application in a few weeks' time."

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] The results of the survey are summarised on the attached sheet. The survey was conducted by independent research agency, Robertson Bell Associates Ltd. 604 interviews were carried out face-to-face between 27 April and 2 May 1996 in Pembrokeshire. The survey was conducted in accordance with the ABMRC Code of Business Practice.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust