From IVAN J. WHITTING
The article by Alexander Smith entitled ‘British Gas ‘under siege’ in
Ecuador’ (This Week, 6 July) misses a number of important points.
The article is illustrated by a photograph of a lorry and piles of timber.
This is not a picture of a British Gas operation. Indeed, there were, as
a matter of policy, no access roads to the Ecuador drilling sites; material
was brought in by helicopter.
British Gas has fully investigated the allegations by Friends of the
Earth and others regarding its operations in Ecuador and is satisfied that
the drilling operations were carried out in a responsible manner and that
every step was taken to minimise the impact. Following drilling, a programme
of site revegetation is currently under way to speed up recovery of the
forest and to ensure diversity of species.
The meeting in June with environmental groups was in fact one of a series
of meetings which have been held with environmentalists over the past six
months. In releasing the environmental assessments, British Gas has asked
those attending to write to the company with their views on the assessments;
a further follow-up session to discuss the feedback is planned. The company
will give serious consideration to any constructive proposals put forward.
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We have clearly explained to FoE that, when British Gas acquired the
assets in Ecuador in December 1988, the exploration activity was already
well advanced with the drilling programme under way. British Gas took the
initiative to commission an independent environmental assessment as soon
as it took over the operation. Where British Gas is involved from the outset,
it is company policy to undertake environmental assessments in all its exploration
and production operations in line with the oil company guidelines which
were published in May of this year.
Ivan J. Whitting British Gas London
