Dear friends and supporters (Car@s amigos e apoiantes - PT segue) ASMAA is working hard to save our coast. With 70 days to go to STOP ENI/Galp from drilling in the Portuguese West Coast and a government that continues to IGNORE the risks and the will of the people, means that time is fast disappearing to STOP it unless YOU HELP US! With government bodies always quoting Norway as a perfect example, we recall what Frederic Hauge, president of the Norwegian environmental group Bellona said, regarding Norway’s accident in ENI’s Goliat platform … “Frederic Hauge stated that trust in Norway’s domestic safety regime has been eroded by the case of ENI, which was ordered to shut down its Goliat platform in the Barents Sea after repeated safety issues. Hauge said the Norwegian authorities’ failure to take prompt action had seriously undermined confidence.” The poor record regarding environmental protection in Portugal, raises serious concerns in the ability of Portugal to deal with an oil spill and other environmental risks that are part and parcel of deep-offshore drilling operations … meaning that at the end of the day the cost and dealing with the devastating impacts will be left to all of us. Not ENI, nor Galp, nor the government. Bottom line: It will come down on each and everyone of us … we can’t let that happen! ASMAA is doing all it can to stop the oil and gas drilling in the Bacia do Alentejo (Aljezur) from going ahead by: 1. Challenging the government’s legality of the law that underpins the ENI/Galp contract. On 6 April we lodged our legal challenge against the Portuguese Government, Ministry of the Sea, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy, DGRM and ENMC, which is now progressing in the Loulé High Court. The court has now received all the replies from cited parties. The next step is for ASMAA to address their responses. Which we are in the process of doing. 2. Challenging the TUPEM licence awarded to ENI/Galp and the lack of an EIA requirement. On 16 May the government decided that there was no need for an EIA for the deep-offshore drilling. This is the same government that demands an EIA if anyone wants to build a chicken pan. 3. Calling on our colleagues in the Canary Islands and in Spain to assist. In the latest development in our legal action (June 2018), the Ministry of the Sea has indicated that the risk to our coast was negligible. Quoting from their legal response “Any sediment or contaminant that could result from drilling should be transported directly south and away from the coast, following the Canaries current, so that it shouldn’t affect our coastal resources”. As far as we are aware, we do not think that the government of the Canary Islands are aware of this new risk, or that the Portuguese government has engaged with them regarding this drilling operation and the potential impact it can have on their territory. The Canary Current is a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later joins the Atlantic North Equatorial Current. The current is named after the Canary Islands. The archipelago partially blocks the flow of the Canary Current (Gyory, 2007). (Wikipedia) *********************************************************************** BUT WE URGENTLY NEED FUNDS TO CARRY ON AND PAY COSTS RELATED TO LEGAL ACTIONS. By the 6 July (this Friday) we need to pay out for legal and other related costs: 3,615€ By the 18 July to Receiver (Finanças) for green receipts retention at source for legal: 903,75 You can assist by making your contribution via PayPal or Direct into our bank account. Thank you to all that has contributed in the past. If you haven’t received your receipts for donations until end of May please let us know. YOU CAN DONATE (€ 20, € 50, € 100 or whatever amount you can afford) 1. Via PayPal (including credit card payments): info@asmaa-algarve.org or through the donate button on our website: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate 2. Via Bank Transfer (EFT) - BANK: SANTANDER TOTTA (LAGOS ALGARVE) ASMAA Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association IBAN: PT50 0018 0008 02686698020 51 REF: ASMAA SAY NO TO OIL Thanking you for all your support Laurinda and rest of ASMAA team 969 320 231 info@asmaa-algarve.org ************************************************************************** Car@s Amigos e Apoiantes desta causa Entretanto, temos 70 dias para PARAR O FURO. Caso contrário, o FURO vai parar-nos a nós, todos. Porque este, em Aljezur é matris de todos os outros. E, no pacote maravilha, vem o fracking incluído. Adeus, Serra dos Candeeiros. Adeus, água pura, adeus monumentos nacionais (Castelo do Pombal). Boa sorte, Santuário de Fátima, em plena área de concessão. Adeus para sempre, Pinhal de Leiria, a quem is fogos tão a preceito e tão convenientemente vieram destruir em grande medida. Sabem o problema de saúde pública que a Holanda tem por causa das contaminações gravíssimas das redes friáticas, cortesia fracking?: vem com o pacote. Cortesia local de quem nos (des)governa há muitos anos, à socapa, quando não havia a desculpa da «geringonça» porque, em silêncio e na opacidade, trabalhavam, como dizem agora, «à vontade». Pois trabalharam. Nao fora terem perdido as rédeas da totalidade do exercício do poder, e nem isto estariamos a saber. Portanto - agora escolham. E sim, temos conseguido pagar aos advogados, a duras penas e muito custo. Mais com donativos estrangeiros do que nacionais. E do nosso bolso. E do nosso tempo e energia e convição. Mas esta é Causa Comum. E nao podem ser sempre as mesmas pessoas a fazer tudo. E os mesmos e as mesmas doadores a contribuir. PODE DOAR (€ 20, € 50, € 100 ) 1. Via PayPal (incluindo pagamentos com cartão de crédito): info@asmaa-algarve.org or com o butão "donate" no nosso website: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate 2. Via Bank Transfer (EFT) - BANK: SANTANDER TOTTA (LAGOS ALGARVE) ASMAA Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association IBAN: PT50 0018 0008 02686698020 51 REF: ASMAA SAY NO TO OIL Obrigada por todo o apoio Laurinda e a equipa da ASMAA 969 320 231 info@asmaa-algarve.org