Environment Southland's Dallas Bradley says oil companies would be extra careful about the safety measures they put in place now "because they would be under more scrutiny" and that if E.S. can't handle a spill, Maritime NZ would take over.
MNZ spokesperson Sophie Hazelhurst said assisting with the clean up in the Gulf of Mexico has helped New Zealand 'make international contacts' which "would be good if New Zealand did have a huge spill that MNZ could not handle, because it could bring in international help."
Robin McNeill of Venture Southland says that if the Southern basin was drilled there is a "very slim chance that something untoward would happen" .
None of these comments inspire any confidence at all in plans to drill in the waters below Stewart Island.
If anything, they're chillingly naive.
The one statement that shows a connection with reality is where Robin McNeill says that he was,
"not confident that Southland had the capabilities to deal with an oil spill like the one in the US".
Nor I Robin.
Nor I.
7 comments:
Rob it beggars belief that they believe they can drill in the southern basin. Surely the risk assessment, even from the drillers point of view, doesn't stack up - but those risks are weighed up against the rewards and that is where the problem is. The powers that be just keep making up stuff to add to the rewards side whilst continuing to minimise the risk side.
It is very monty python parrot sketchish - "this parrots dead." "No it's not - it's sleeping..."
Marty you are right - it's Pythonesque but delivered in such a way that Southlanders are not alerted to the downsides. I am greatly puzzled by the silence from Rakiura Maori around the proposal to drill the Southern basin, given that their moutere titi will be the first to welcome spilled oil, should it be released.
The same 'boom and bust' scenario is being swallowed, it seems, by Southlanders, with regard the massive lignite mine proposal for Mataura. Again, little if any talk of the negative effects of mining sulphurous , wet lignite, or of turning it to briquettes, urea or diesel.
It's held by some that none of the dirty big projects being touted down here will ever come into being as the capital needed cannot be amassed in this present economic climate, however, the progress being made by the promoters of oil and coal 'fanciers' is hugely dissapointing, if you accept the messages found in our newspapers.
Perhaps we needs some beach-bonfires in Murihiku to tautoko Ngati Porou on the East Coast.
I could write Key's response now.
I think I am a little quoted out of context... while I said that the chance of something untoward happening in the Deep South Basin was slim, I didn't say it was impossible. What didn't get reported was that I also said that it's a bit like a nuclear reactor- they very seldom go wrong, but as Windscale, Chernoble and Five Mile Island demonstrate, when they do, it is horrendous and so these things must be treated with utmost caution.
Thanks for your comments Robin. Speaking to a reporter is always a risk but I think your meaning did come through, at least I sensed your reservations. I wish they had included your comments re. nuclear etc. especially given your expertise in the sphere of electricity generation.
For me, 'slim' is a chance that needs to be regarded very seriously, not swept under the carpet as the promoters (Shadbolt, Canny, Brownlee et al.) seem to be doing.
However, if those promoting the Deep South Basin well can show that any accident would be contained immediately with NO environmental damage caused, I'd be satisfied :-)
Fat chance (sorry Gerry).
Oh and I forgot to ask your opinion of 'Windflow'!
http://robertguyton.blogspot.com/2010/07/windflow.html
I own shares in Windflow, so I cannot give an unbiased opinion. (but, perhaps that answers your question?). BTW, Steve Canny is very concerned about the environment and environmental aspects, so I wouldn't lump him in there with Brownlee.
Ah! I see. I was mightily impressed by the Windflow story and you'll know then about interest being shown by the Scots. Seems ironic that exports might be the way foward. The 'carrot foot' development for the bases was interesting too, though I prefer to think of that design as a ti kouka root.
I don't doubt for a moment that Steve Canny has genuine concerns and care for the environment but the material that comes out from him at newspaper level makes him sound Brownlee-ish, which is a cruel call for anyone I guess. Given Steve's passion for bicycles, I'll have to give him all the benefit of the doubt.
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