Corfu Association for Protection of the Environment against drilling in the Ionian
drilling
01 Dec 2019
/ 11:04
CORFU. "..We are disappointed that the majority of the Regional Council ignored the appeal from the active citizens present at the recent Council meeting in Cephalonia and the 7,000 residents΄ signatures.."
Following the recent majority vote from the Regional Council, Corfu Association for Protection of the Environment expressed their opposition to hydrocarbon drilling in the Ionian Sea.
They issued the following statement:
"We wish to express our opposition to the Ionian Islands Regional Council decision which says YES to hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian Sea.
We are disappointed that the majority of the Regional Council ignored the appeal from the active citizens present at the recent Council meeting in Cephalonia and the 7,000 residents΄ signatures requesting that the investment not go ahead.
Along with all those in our islands against hydrocarbon drilling we believe that there should not be hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian for the following reasons:
- The exploration and drilling will take place at great depths - the President of Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management has admitted publicly that the companies involved will have the necessary know-how for exploration at great depths will be available in three years. The combination of lack of experience and the seismic nature of the area poses a great environmental risk and will turn the local residents into guinea pigs. Drilling can both cause and strengthen seismic activity which can cause leakage from the drilling facility leading to environmental pollution.
- 43 'protected areas' are located next to the fields to be explored and exploited. These are ecologically important areas which, right from the first stage of seismic exploration, will be irreparably damaged and the situation will be made even worse if there is regular pollution or oil slicks.
The marine biodiversity will be affected as will the natural and social environment of coastal areas.
- It is planned that 5% of the companies' taxable income will be paid to the Regional Administration - a small and uncertain amount as the companies regularly declare losses. Instead of making a profit there will be a loss of income as there will be a negative impact on tourism and fishing. Even if there were a profit, it wouldn't compensate for the damage to public health and safety.
- Climate change can now be seen clearly and the EU's basic target is to reduce air pollution by at least 40% by 2030. To this end, efforts are being made to gradually end our dependence on fossil fuels and not to make new investments in that field.
For all the above-mentioned reasons and many others which it is not possible to list in a letter of protest like this, we consider that hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian Sea and other areas in Greece is fraught with serious dangers to people and the natural environment regardless of whether it is undertaken by a private or public body."
They issued the following statement:
"We wish to express our opposition to the Ionian Islands Regional Council decision which says YES to hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian Sea.
We are disappointed that the majority of the Regional Council ignored the appeal from the active citizens present at the recent Council meeting in Cephalonia and the 7,000 residents΄ signatures requesting that the investment not go ahead.
Along with all those in our islands against hydrocarbon drilling we believe that there should not be hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian for the following reasons:
- The exploration and drilling will take place at great depths - the President of Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management has admitted publicly that the companies involved will have the necessary know-how for exploration at great depths will be available in three years. The combination of lack of experience and the seismic nature of the area poses a great environmental risk and will turn the local residents into guinea pigs. Drilling can both cause and strengthen seismic activity which can cause leakage from the drilling facility leading to environmental pollution.
- 43 'protected areas' are located next to the fields to be explored and exploited. These are ecologically important areas which, right from the first stage of seismic exploration, will be irreparably damaged and the situation will be made even worse if there is regular pollution or oil slicks.
The marine biodiversity will be affected as will the natural and social environment of coastal areas.
- It is planned that 5% of the companies' taxable income will be paid to the Regional Administration - a small and uncertain amount as the companies regularly declare losses. Instead of making a profit there will be a loss of income as there will be a negative impact on tourism and fishing. Even if there were a profit, it wouldn't compensate for the damage to public health and safety.
- Climate change can now be seen clearly and the EU's basic target is to reduce air pollution by at least 40% by 2030. To this end, efforts are being made to gradually end our dependence on fossil fuels and not to make new investments in that field.
For all the above-mentioned reasons and many others which it is not possible to list in a letter of protest like this, we consider that hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Ionian Sea and other areas in Greece is fraught with serious dangers to people and the natural environment regardless of whether it is undertaken by a private or public body."
