Milford Haven - legal action threatened over LNG terminal
Plaid press release from Jill Evans MEP
The European Commission has today threatened to take legal action against the UK government in relation to Milford Haven's Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal.
With the support of Plaid MEP Jill Evans, local residents have petitioned the European Parliament, highlighting several potential breaches of EU law, and in particular the UK's obligation to carry out proper Environmental Impact and Safety assessments.
The issue was discussed again at today's meeting of the European Parliament's Petitions Committee, with local petitioner Rodney Maile telling MEPs of his concerns.
Now the Commission is threatening infringement proceedings over the UK government's failure to comply with repeated requests for information about safety aspects of the Liquefied Natural Gas terminal.
Speaking after the meeting in Brussels, Jill Evans MEP said:
"The European Commission is clearly losing patience with the UK government's failure to produce information about important safety aspects at Milford Haven.
"The government has missed the deadline to provide information on the safety assessment. Now they've asked for the deadline to be extended until June 2012. It's not acceptable that they say the information is there but won't let the public see it.
"We have heard today the serious concerns that residents of Milford Haven have about safety at the LNG terminal, with ships carrying liquefied natural gas entering the Cleddau Estuary, and reports on leaks from the storage tanks.
"The London government cannot stall any longer. Local people have a right to the facts, and need to be reassured that the use of Milford Haven for LNG is safe and plans are in place for any emergency. I am very grateful to the residents who have campaigned tirelessly on this for several years. They should not have to live with this fear."
