Shell has a responsibility to keep the public informed

Commenting on news that the current North Sea oil spill may now be the largest in a decade, Juliet Swann, Head of Campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“We are deeply worried that we still, even five days after the leak was detected, know far too little about the environmental impact of the spill, how it could impact wildlife, and the scale of the threat to Scotland’s coastal communities and the marine environment that they rely on for their income.

“Shell seems to have learned nothing from its experience in the Gulf of Mexico and continues to communicate poorly with those affected, and with those that could assist. Its response has been close to pathetic.

“It is Shell’s responsibility to keep the public and stakeholders informed, especially in a crisis such as this, but I fear the longer we wait to hear about what is really happening from Shell, the more chance there is that we will never actually know the truth as Shell’s PR machine goes into overdrive.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:
 Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

Shell North Sea oil spill ‘more than 200 tonnes’
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-14532112

Friends of the Earth Scotland is
* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk