est. 2007

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Adrian Loveridge Takes-Up The Fight Against Royal Dutch Shell PLC On Behalf Of Barbadian Farmers

Adrian Loveridge ups the ante by posting recent events on the plight of the Southern Farmers to anti-Royal Dutch Shell PLC website. Personal attention of Mr. Stuart Bruseth Head of Global Media Relations Royal Dutch Shell plc. I have sent under separate cover by email a story that appeared in our local newspaper, The Daily…

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Adrian Loveridge ups the ante by posting recent events on the plight of the Southern Farmers to anti-Royal Dutch Shell PLC website.

Personal attention of

Mr. Stuart Bruseth

Head of Global Media Relations

Royal Dutch Shell plc.

I have sent under separate cover by email a story that appeared in our local newspaper, The Daily Nation, this week. I understand that Shell have accepted responsibility for the leaking of the A1, kerosene pipe sometime ago, but the settlement figure has yet to be agreed by the Southern Farmers group. I personally witnessed this week, a bucket being lowered into a recently built well in a heavily populated residential area some distance from the original pipes. When hauled-up the bucket appeared to contain a highly flammable liquid that smelt like kerosene.

Very close by residents attempting to grow ground provisions and animals were feeding off the grass. The well was also located less than 500 yards from one of our most pristine beaches, Enterprise. I fully understand that there are lawyers representing your interests, on Barbados, but I implore you to ensure that immediate action is taken before this issue develops into a major environmental problem. I have read the Shell environmental mission statement on your website and I fully support your good intentions and work in this area.

Sadly, this matter has been allowed to drag on for an unreasonable time and in the interests of all Barbadians, would ask that you ensure satisfactory closure.

Thank You

Adrian Loveridge

5 January 2008

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67 responses to “Adrian Loveridge Takes-Up The Fight Against Royal Dutch Shell PLC On Behalf Of Barbadian Farmers”

  1. Waterboy Avatar
    Waterboy

    The reply by Stuart Gill is a good PR response. Despite anything said by Mr. Gill the best way to put pressure on Shell is via SOL.

    Hit them where it hurts (boycotts, bad press etc etc) and believe me they (SOL) will put pressure on Shell. The fact that SOL is a licensee means that less revenues to SOL is less revenue to Shell.

    Gill says “Shell has made it perfectly clear to Sol, that we have no right to represent them in this matter and that we should not get involved in any way.” The Barbadian public agrees with Shell. We want SOL to represent the interests of Barbadians. If SOL knows what is good for them then they had better “get involved” but on the side of Barbados and not Shell.

    Gill also says “We do know however that Shell has commissioned a thorough environmental assessment of the entire area from Oistins to the airport with the intention of identifying and remediating affected areas.” Really? The company that created the problem is going to commission a study. How reassuring. Thirteen years after acknowledging the problem they are going to commission a study!

    Which brings us to the question. Where is the Barbados Government and the Ministry of the Environment in all of this? This is not just a narrow problem for the farmers about compensation for loss of earnings. The environment destroyed belongs to future generations. They should have been the ones leading the fight against Shell, not only to compensate farmers but to clean up the environment.

  2. Green Monkey Avatar
    Green Monkey

    Waterboy said:

    Hit them where it hurts (boycotts, bad press etc etc) and believe me they (SOL) will put pressure on Shell. The fact that SOL is a licensee means that less revenues to SOL is less revenue to Shell.

    I have already started doing that. I avoid filling up at Shell branded stations (or shopping in their convenience stores), and if I am caught short and need some gas with only a Shell station handy, I don’t get a fill up, I just buy a quarter tank or so to get me back on the road until I can fill up somewhere else.

  3. only me Avatar
    only me

    SHEILA THOMAS I AGREE WITH YOU ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ..ADRIAN SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS ALL ALONG ONLY NOW …HE IS A TROUBLE MAker AND NOTHING ELSE WHO WANTS TOO FEEL LIKE A BIGSHOT ..I PROMISED NEVER TO COMMENT ON HIS ARTICLES AGAIN OR READ THEM BUT THE HEADLINE CAUGHT MY EYE ……HE IS JUST A WASTE OF BREATHING SPACE AND NOTHING ALSE

  4. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    I was just reading your comments with some of the committee members from the southern farmers Assoc. I want to make a few comments in defense of Mr. Loveridge. We approached Adrian a hotelier in our contituency and invited him like we invited others. He turned up, why on earth didn’t the others turned up

  5. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    where were the black people that we invited
    Where were the concerned Bajans?

  6. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    This is thirteen years that we have been crying alone for the moral help of the bajan public.we approached Mr. Loveridge because we found oil a few yards from Miami beach. do you think that all the other hotelier read the news paper or watch CBC

  7. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    We are tired of hearing ou gutless people who don’t see that this is not the farmers problem. this is a problem that should have the next generation of bajans mad. This is a problem that should have every fish loving bajan angry. Every fisherman who need our delicate coral reef for his economic existence should be joining our cause. and my dear friend sheila if your are a real nationalistic black bajan please come alongside us and help us fight. where are the voices of the environmentalist, the scientist, the water engineers, the BLP, the DLP? Except for Senator Francis Chandler they all fade into oblivion. Remember the farmlands, the coral reefs, they belong to us they are our inheritance

  8. David Avatar
    David

    Arrindel it seems to us that the Southern Farmers have waited way too long to start legal proceedings. The Internet is filled with similar situations of Shell dragging out negotiations for compensation around the world.

  9. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    Shell has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the surroundings it is, or has been operating in.
    The current law suit over their Deer Park refinery is a classic example.

    SOL at least had the courtesy to respond in a timely manner but Shell with its almost obsence profits feel that it can totally ignore the ordinary man-in-the-street.

    But, I just do not blame them.

    I blame ‘our’ Government and the representative for the area for not ensuring that action was taken against Shell.
    13 YEARS OF PROMISES!

    Even now, after finding what appeared to be be pure kerosine in a residential well, in a heavily population area, I wonder how many environmental health officers have inspected the site?

  10. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    Hi Guys, It is not that we have waited toolong to start legal proceedings. we have a writ file in the high courts years ago by our first lawyer. but all along that strategy has been to try for an out of court settlement. Our lawyer at the time always gave the assurance that a payment was just around the corner.

  11. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    Even today we still prefer an out of court settlement as a matter of fact shell’s lawyer at one time suggested arbitration. Today we still feel that the court system may not suit our cause effectively. The moment that this is in court we will be muted and at the mercy of a system that is not always fair to the small man.

  12. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    we were able to speak freely when we uncover the fact that pure jet A fuel was in oistins. We were abled on sunday night to go to Foundation school and publicly put our case to the Prime minister. And we are not finished yet, shell soon will be begging us to ease up.

  13. Arrindel Avatar
    Arrindel

    By the way David there are not many groups in Barbados that has stuck with any fight as consistently as we have been doing. We have not weaken over the last thirteen years, we have gotten stronger and stronger, and the best is yet to be seen

  14. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    Arrindell
    Is that you with the Antiguan wife and a son that just graduated in Canada last year?

  15. only me Avatar
    only me

    shell is absolutly right to ignore yall farming fools …lol hahahahaha

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