This article is more than 11 years old
This article is more than 11 years old
Erin Brockovich, the campaigner who was immortalised in an Oscar-winning film, today urged oil giant Shell to reroute a controversial gas pipeline in the west of Ireland.
The former legal clerk, who famously took on a major power company accused over toxic leaks, gave her backing to campaigners opposing the development in north county Mayo.
Brockovich said the pipeline should be relocated if it affected residents' health or property. Shell has denied that the project affects either.
"There is no compromise when it comes to health and safety, and Shell should respect that," Brockovich said.
"If it is family land or some type of heritage land or preserved land, they've got to go around it.
"If a condition exists where a company like Shell needs to be in a location and there are residences, you need to move them."
Brockovich was portrayed by the actor Julia Roberts in the 2000 hit movie after winning a multi-million dollar legal battle against the energy firm PG&E for families affected by contaminated water in a Californian town.
She said she was confident that a compromise between the campaigners and Shell could be reached after discussing the matter with Irish environment minister and Green Party leader, John Gormley.
Brockovich also said a 10-day hunger strike by campaigner Maura Harrington was not the most effective way to reach a resolution.
Harrington, a retired school principal, called off her drastic action today when a pipe-laying ship left Irish waters.
"I would want her to eat," Brockovich said. "I clearly understand it's her way of making a very, very strong statement about something she feels strongly about, but I would want her to eat because we need to eat."
The Shell to Sea demonstrators oppose attempts to lay a pipeline which will transport untreated and odourless gas from the Corrib gas field to an inland refinery because of health and environmental fears.
"I completely understand their concerns," Brockovich said. "I deal with issues in the United States where pipelines have been put in, they've leaked and created health problems.
"Many people are in favour of progress, but they're not in favour of progress to the point where you degrade our environment and jeopardise our public health and safety."
Brockovich is in Dublin to speak about the benefits of eating organic food. She will give a lecture at University College Dublin tomorrow as part of Glenisk Organic Dairy's celebrations for National Organic Week.
In die Diskussion über den umstrittenen Verlauf einer Erdgaspipeline des Energiekonzerns Shell im Nordwesten Irlands hat sich heute die Aktivistin Erin Brockovich eingeschaltet, die durch den gleichnahmigen Oscar-prämierten Film bekannt geworden ist.

Lage des irischen Countys Mayo (hellgrün)

Laut „Press Association“ fordert Brockovich, dass sich der Verlauf der Pipeline im County Mayoan an den Stellen ändern müsse, wo die Gesundheit oder das Eigentum der Anwohner beeinträchtigt würde. Wenn die Pipeline über das Land von Familien oder durch Naturschutzgebiete führe, müsste das geändert werden, so Brockovich weiter. Die Umweltaktivistin zeigte sich nach einem Gespräch mit dem irischen Umweltminister und Vorsitzenden der irischen Grünen, John Gormley zuversichtlich, dass es eine Lösung geben wird, mit der sowohl Shell, als auch die Kritiker des geplanten Pipelineverlaufs zufrieden sein könnten. Gleichzeitig bezeichnete sie die Aktion von Maura Harrington, einer ehemaligen Schulleiterin, als „nicht den besten Weg, eine Lösung zu erzielen.“ Harrington wollte mit einem Hungerstreik verhindern, dass die Pipeline gebaut wird.

Die geplante Pipeline soll Erdgas vom Offshore-Feld „Corrib“ zu einer Raffinerie im Landesinneren von Irland befördern. Die Kritik der Gegner des Verlaufs der Pipeline hat der Energiekonzern stets zurückgewiesen. 2006 hatte Shell den ursprünglich vorgesehenen Verlauf geändert, jedoch in einer Weise, die die Kritik nicht verstummen ließ. In dieser Woche wurde nun trotz anhaltender Proteste, bei denen zuletzt am 9. September drei Fischer verhaftet worden waren, mit dem Bau der Pipeline begonnen.