7 February 2003
Harris superquarry: INTERNATIONAL CALL
FOR WWF TO END "EMBARRASSING" DEAL
Friends of the Earth, the world's largest
grassroots environment organisation, today
(Friday 7 February) formally backed calls for
international conservation group, WWF
International to end its £3.5 million
partnership with French multinational,
Lafarge Aggregates. [1] The call came on the
same day made as it was announced that the
court action by Lafarge to secure planning
permission to establish a massive quarry on
Harris will not now be heard November 2003.
[2]
In a strongly worded letter to WWF's
Executive director Dr Claude Martin Friends
of the Earth Scotland's Chief Executive,
Kevin Dunion calls for the "partnership" to
be ended and also expresses concern at the
"assistance" provided to Lafarge in response
to the challenge coming from those opposed to
the superquarry. This includes the passing of
draft letters from Lafarge to WWF for comment
and advice on how best Lafarge should handle
criticism in Scotland. [3]
FoE is also calling upon Lafarge to come
clean on its current intentions< with
regard to quarrying in Harris. Due to the
stagnation of European aggregate demand FoE
believes that the company would indefinitely
delay quarrying, thus failing to provide
promised jobs whilst blighting the area from
attracting other employment.
Commenting Friends of the Earth Scotland's
Chief Executive, Kevin Dunion, said:
"Friends of the Earth Scotland is calling
upon Lafarge to end the litigation which is
dragging out the uncertainty over the future
of Harris. It now appears that the current
legal action will not come to court before
November 2003. Lafarge has accepted that UK
aggregate demand has remained millions of
tonnes below the projections of national need
which it claimed at the public inquiry. It
needs to come clean about its intentions.
Would it start quarrying on Harris if it got
planning permission, or would it simply
mothball the site as an asset on its balance
sheet?
"We also want WWF International to halt
its relationship with the company. It is not
acceptable that WWF International is advising
Lafarge on how to manage the campaign by
Friends of the Earth International. The time
has come for WWF International to choose.
Either it is going to vigorously pursue the
campaign against the superquarry or continue
to act as a consultant to a multinational.
Lafarge should be an undesirable bedfellow
for any major environmental group, having
twice been heavily fined for operating a
price fixing cartel in Europe. Yet WWF
International financially benefits handsomely
from a company which it bestows with its
exclusive tag of conservation partner." [4,
5]
Commenting, Friends of the Earth
International's Chair, Ricardo Navarro,
said:
"Friends of the Earth International feels
that such partnerships between industry and
non-governmental organisations are entirely
inappropriate. In this particular case, the
agreement between Lafarge and WWF undermines
the efforts of local opposition to the
companyÕs plans and weakens the
environmental organisations like Friends of
the Earth Scotland which support efforts to
safeguard the environment and secure
sustainable livelihoods."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Lafarge Aggregates is attempting to
establish a massive superquarry on Harris in
the Western isles. If permission is granted
it will mean the extraction of 10 million
tonnes of rock for 60 years from
Roineabhal
mountain at Lingerbay. The rock will largely
be for export to England for road building
projects.
[2] The Court of Session today confirmed
the date of Lafarge's appeal as 25 November
2002.
[3] As one of WWF's Conservation Partners,
Lafarge has agreed to contribute £3.5 million
(£700,000 a year for five years) to WWF.
WWF's Conservation Partners are
"multinational companies which contribute
major funding to sponsor WWF's global
conservation work". According to WWF
companies which become Partners are
guaranteed "a unique relationship that will
enhance your brand image and add value to
your marketing and communications
strategy."
www.panda.org/about_wwf/how_we_work/
WWF International's Director General, Dr
Claude Martin can be contacted on +41 22 364
91 11
[4] Lafarge is the world's biggest
producer of building materials. It owns 800
quarries around the world and employs 83,000
people in 75 countries. Lafarge also owns the
UK's Blue Circle Cement. Lafarge was also
present at the World Economic Forum in Davos
this January.
Lafarge is a company with a chequered
history. It makes much of being one of WWFÕs
Conservation Partners, yet it has received
not one but two fines from the European
Commission. The most recent fine, handed down
in November 2002, was for LafargeÕs part in a
four-year conspiracy to fix the
price of construction products. The £250
million fine imposed on Lafarge is the
third-largest penalty ever levied by the
Commission on a single company.
[2] Superquarry saga.
1991: Redland Aggregates lodge planning
application for superquarry.
1993: Western Isles Council approves
project. ¥ January 1994: Secretary of State,
Ian Lang orders public inquiry.
October 1994: Inquiry begins lasting almost
12 months and costing £2 million. During
inquiry a referendum finds that 67.7% of
Harris residents oppose the quarry. FoE gives
evidence against proposal. 1997: Redland
taken over by Lafarge.
1998: Research reveals collapse in aggregate
demand.
1999: Inquiry Reporter recommends approval
for quarry.
2000: Environment Minister, Sam Galbraith
rejects proposal. Lafarge appeals. The
Executive says it
will redetermine the decision.
2001: While awaiting the redetermination
Lafarge try to establish a quarry using a
1965 planning consent by the old
Inverness-shire County.
2002: Ministers accept this 37-year-old
consent is valid but only for an area of less
than 5 hectares. Lafarge go to court to
challenge this decision too.
More information: Lang Banks on 0131 554
9977 or (pager) 07654 200937 or
FoE International (Ann Doherty) on 00 312 06
22 1369
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