UK Government in cahoots with oil spill polluters?

Responding to reports of a significant oil spill north east of Shetland on Tuesday this week, in which 23 tonnes of oil were discharged from the Tern Platform, Stan Blackley, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“This significant oil spill happened off the north east of Shetland just two days before the UK Government gave consent to BP for oil exploration in the deep waters off the north west of Shetland.

“How strange that we should only hear about it after that announcement, even though it happened beforehand and the UK department of Energy was aware of it! Once again, we see suggestions that the UK Government is in cahoots with the big polluters.

“Only yesterday we were warning that Scotland should be seeking to end its addiction to oil and instead investing in clean, renewable energy solutions, and today we see yet more evidence of why this really must be the case.”

ENDS

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

Notes to Editors

1. 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