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Ridiculous and Unsubstantiated Canatxx Statements
What do you make of the statement from the Canatxx CEO, Paul Grimes, who says that he guarantees absolutely that gas will not escape from the proposed underground caverns and that these caverns cannot collapse
The Blackpool Gazette reported Mr Grimes as saying “..that he guaranteed absolutely, the safety of the proposed project”
This statement was made to and reported by Tom Halstead (Gazette) at the Canatxx public information day held at Farmer Parr's in Fleetwood
PWG asked for some evidence on how this “ absolute guarantee ” would be met but we were met with a wall of silence from Canatxx
There is no guarantee , absolute or otherwise and it is therefore very misleading to the public, who do not know the detail of the evidence or evaluations, to be told such things.
The proposed caverns will be solution mined (i.e. washed out from the natural rock) from the layered salt which is interspersed with layers of marl and other impurities. Most other underground gas storage sites around the world are in dome salt – NOT layered salt and as well as being the shallowest in Europe, this proposed Canatxx site will be the only one in the world under a tidal estuary and where the full extent of the salt formation remains uncertain.
The proposed gas will be injected at pressures up to 1,100 psi and stored in up to 42 unlined caverns. Natural geological forces will prevail, ground movements can occur and have occurred, yet Mr Grimes say that his gas will not escape
Later in the Blackpool Gazette, Paul Grimes says
“ The caverns cannot blow up, they cannot collapse, they are inherently safe ”.
This misleading to say the least.
Protect Wyre Group have never, ever suggested that the caverns could blow up – we have said however that gas could migrate from them (i.e. that they could leak) and the escaping gas could then mix with air and ignite resulting in explosion(s).
But the second part of his phrase is totally wrong!
At the Public Inquiry, the Inspector was assisted by
Miss Ruth Allington, BSc, MSc, CEng, FIMMM, FGS, CGeol, FConsE, MBA ,
who is a Consultant Engineering Geologist
Check her out for yourself http://www.expertsearch.co.uk/cgi-bin/find_expert?1056
Her report on the Canatxx proposal and the additional evidence and expert testimony offered at the Public Inquiry is in the public domain and she talks of the possibility of “crown hole collapse” on the Canatxx site which would result from cavern failure or collapse.
Can we suggest that she would not have done this if the possibility didn't exist?
Canatxx cannot prove nor have they offered any substantive evidence to say that caverns cannot collapse.
There are huge areas of the salt that have not been surveyed and Canatxx know nothing of the quality of the salt in these areas.
Do you think that Mr Grimes, who has a vested interest in the project and whose company stands to make millions of pounds from the development is better qualified and more credible to make his statement or Miss Allington, a professional independent consultant engineering geologist to make hers?
If there was any substantive evidence that gas could not migrate from these unlined caverns, situated in very suspect geology at a minimal depth then Protect Wyre Group would not need to exist but there is no evidence and until there is we will vigorously oppose this development