Pipeline: Slight Return

February 13th, 2008

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Posted by ChrisG at 3:36 pm

One from the ‘almost entirely forgot to post this’ pile.

We won’t be hearing anything about the South Wales gas pipeline for a little while, thanks to National Grid having to figure out what to do next regarding its critical legal failure to get permission for a pressure installation at the English end of the pipe, and the failure of the Milford Haven LNG storage facility to be ready before April or May. Still, we should pay due attention to this statement, which was delivered by the Welsh Minister for Sustainability, Jane Davidson, towards the beginning of December, only a month and a half after Plaid’s Dai Lloyd had originally asked [PDF] for her to say something on the progress of the pipeline.

We should pay attention mainly because the statement is a fine example of how one can, when one’s duties as an elected representative get too time-consuming, simply advert to repeating wholesale the press releases you’ve received from whatever corporation your policies happen to be assisting at the time:

The construction and operation of high pressure gas transmission pipelines in the UK is heavily regulated to ensure the highest safety standards apply. National Grid, and its predecessors, have unparalleled experience in the field of gas transmission, with a UK NTS comprising over 7000km of high pressure gas pipeline which has been operating with an excellent safety record for over 35 years.

Except for all them killings what they done, of course. And might still do. Not only is Davidson’s statement staggering under the weight of all this National Grid boilerplate, it manages to load on some complete bollocks all of her own invention:

The pipeline in itself is an investment of £450 million and the employment of around one thousand construction workers [...] The pipelines are important new infrastructure for Wales, putting Wales at the front end rather than the tail end of Britain’s energy network, thus helping to ensure our security of energy supply.

Oh yes, all those workers – and the contractors employing them – were as local as you like. And the benefits of being at the front end of this entirely-non-hazardous enterprise, rather than bringing up the rear, are plain to see.

UPDATE: The folks from National Grid in Coventry have popped by once again, at 9.26 this morning and 2.02pm this arvo. Nice to see you, guys.