Canatxx Gas Storage Statement of Intent - June
08 (download .pdf)
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The news that Canatxx intends to resubmit its planning application for a gas
storage facility at Preesall later this year has obviously hit the headlines and
grabbed people's attention. It's very easy to be swayed by something you read
about in the press or hear on the radio but just because it's in the media
spotlight doesn't mean you have to believe everything you read.
No Change!
Canatxx have issued statements to the media stating that "The application
will be ultimately to develop capacity to store 1.2 million tonnes of natural
gas".
This the same volume of gas that they proposed last time and the same volume
that the Public Inquiry decided could not be supported in the area? The geology
of the area has not changed so how can they now achieve something that they
couldn't achieve previously especially as they haven't done any more drilling
and testing of the site?
Unique Location?
Canatxx goes on to state "This is a unique location with natural salt beds
which are ideal to develop gas storage caverns"
Preesall is not a unique location and it's not ideal, as was proven beyond doubt
at the Public Inquiry. The ideal locations around the world are in salt domes,
not beds of layered salt as we have in Preesall; beds that are riven with faults
and fissures which are potential gas escape and migration routes.
Have Canatxx not read the Inspector's report from the Public Inquiry? The
Inspector and the Lancashire County Council team would almost certainly disagree
with their current statements.
Working With Industry Leaders?
The next part of their press release to the media seems typical of what PR
companies put out; all gloss and little substance in our opinion.
They, (Gardant Communications) say "Canatxx has been in operation in the UK
for 15 years and its personnel have worked with industry leaders in gas and
energy technologies globally".
Protect Wyre Group says "so what?"
When we invited Canatxx at the Public Inquiry to tell the Inspector exactly what
they had built in the last 10-14 years and where, they didn't come up with
anything and had to admit that they had never undertaken a gas storage project
like this before anywhere in the world. The much publicised trip of Wyre
Councillors which included Michael Brown as the then CEO of Wyre BC (he is now a
director of Canatxx) failed to report that all they saw was a gas compression
station. No mention was made after this visit that there weren't even any salt
deposits in Maryland and they didn't visit any gas storage facilities. PWG
brought this fact out at the Public Inquiry.
So working with industry leaders doesn't really count for much if you never
build anything - does it?
Leading World Experts?
They say "Canatxx is using some of the leading experts in the world across
every aspect of the project; cavern experts, rock mechanics and
environmentalists etc. It not only has people, but it has the best people with
top qualifications and experience".
This may well be true but if they are using the same team as they used at the
Public Inquiry, they didn't win the day then and nothing has changed as far as
we can see.
Anyone can employ top people if you have enough money and these experts can have
all the qualifications and experience in the world but what these experts cannot
do is change the ground conditions which were proven beyond a shadow of doubt to
be unsuitable for gas storage.
The Inspector's Report from the Inquiry
The Inspector's Report sets out the scale of investigation that would be
necessary to demonstrate that gas could be safely stored in the salt beds in
this area. This would include drilling a cored bore at each of the 24 sites at
which Canatxx proposed to create a gas storage cavern.
There isn't any evidence that any work has been carried out by Canatxx on the
site since the Inquiry began and PWG will be fighting to ensure that any
planning application is supported by hard evidence and not by a series of
statements of intent - we had enough of those from Canatxx with the last
application, not that it got them anywhere.
National Need versus Residents' Stress
Canatxx have, in our opinion, already caused too much stress to the residents of
Wyre with this proposed project for no other reason than 'shareholder's profits'
and we feel that this is totally unacceptable.
They also keep banging the drum about the National Need for gas storage. Does
anyone really think that the directors and shareholders of Canatxx care about
National Need or are they doing this just because there is a significant amount
of money to be made here?
Submissions of Planning Applications
PWG recognises that Canatxx have the right to submit another application if and
when they see fit. After all, they own the land and have a legal right to try to
develop it.
Lancashire County Council now has a vast amount of information about the state
of the ground and the salt beds within it which backed up their correct decision
to oppose the Canatxx application.
What Next?
What should you do next? Simply treat all that you read and hear about in the
media as media hype and wait until Canatxx actually submits a formal application
stating where, when and how they intend to proceed.
Over the next few weeks we will be examining the current Canatxx press and web
statements very closely and we will be publishing our contrasting views - and
there are plenty of them.
Protect Wyre Group is still in existence and will be fighting on behalf of the
residents on both sides of the Estuary.
We will be asking for your increased support this time to send them away for
good.
Please don't start or sign any petitions, no matter how well intentioned, at
this time.
Wait until we know exactly what we are objecting to and to whom we should best
direct that objection.
We are going to Say No to Gas Storage and we hope you will do so as well.