Volvo Ocean Race

galvianlord

From today's Irish Times:

Mayor urges firms to remove oil tanks
LORNA SIGGINS, Western Correspondent

Mon, Mar 09, 2009

MAYOR OF Galway councillor Pádraig Conneely says two leading fuel suppliers in the west have a “civic duty” to ensure the success of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Galway is not jeopardised.

The Fine Gael mayor says he is appealing to them to facilitate removal of the oil tank farm on Galway docks. The tank farm was to have been dismantled last year to make way for a temporary base for the international yacht race’s first ever Irish stopover from May 23rd to June 6th.

Race organisers and the city and harbour authorities had hoped fuel suppliers Topaz and Chevron would relocate to a new terminal, built at a cost of €38 million on the harbour’s southern border.

Late last week, a first shipment was made to the new Enwest terminal – signalling a breakthrough was imminent – and a second shipment is due tomorrow. However, Topaz and Chevron have denied a relocation agreement has been concluded.

It is understood both companies had commercially-sensitive “difficulties” with moving into a shared facility. The dockside terminal, formerly leased by Shell and acquired by Topaz, is so close to the city centre that it would not meet revised health and safety standards set in the wake of the Buncefield explosions in Hertfordshire, England, three years ago.

Over 40 people were injured, and houses and businesses evacuated during a fire which engulfed the area and lasted for some days in December 2005. The new Enwest terminal meets the 400m health and safety exclusion zone set in Britain after the Buncefield inquiry.

The Government has committed €8 million to Galway’s participation in the race, which represents the largest State investment of its type to date in a sporting event. The stopover is expected to attracted 140,000 spectators with a prospective spend in the region of €42 million during the fortnight, and many hotels are already reporting full bookings.

The mayor said he would be “optimistic” the companies would ensure “nothing is put in the way of the success of this race” in the city and surrounding area.

Ironically, one of Topaz’s shareholders is businessman Denis O’Brien who is also part of a syndicate that contributed towards the costs of Green Dragon, one of two Irish boats, participating in the race.

Topaz said it had “continued to facilitate the commissioning of the Enwest facility, even to the extent of laying down product in the main storage tanks. The company is continuing to work with all of the interested parties in Galway in an effort to accommodate the Volvo Ocean Race. The company’s position remains that if a satisfactory conclusion comes to ongoing discussions, then Topaz is prepared to relocate to the Enwest terminal”.

A spokesman for Chevron confirmed it had received a letter from the mayor and it had explained to him it had “been asked to keep its joint venture terminal open during the Volvo Ocean Race to supply fuels and oils to our customers in the Galway area”.

“Looking longer term, Chevron has an existing facility with a number of years left to run that enables us to meet the needs of our customers in the Galway area and we have never expressed a desire to move,” he said.

“ However, we continue to maintain an open dialogue with the Galway Harbour Company.”

© 2009 The Irish Times

Robbo

And folks you KNOW that if Padraig urges it, thy will be done. Although he didn't get a picture taken of him looking forlorn by the tanks...

Mrs OBumble

Remind me, who are the two major fuel suppliers involved?

Perhaps if Galway residents all stopped buying fuel from 'em, they might get the hint and get moving ...

Chris_533976

This unbelievable farce needs to be sorted out NOW. Those fuel tanks must go, but I have a nasty feeling they'll still be there when this is all on.

s_carnage

JustMary wrote: »

Remind me, who are the two major fuel suppliers involved?

Perhaps if Galway residents all stopped buying fuel from 'em, they might get the hint and get moving ...

Topaz and Chevron

foxy_19-89

Chris_533976 wrote: »

This unbelievable farce needs to be sorted out NOW. Those fuel tanks must go, but I have a nasty feeling they'll still be there when this is all on.

+1 its typical isnt it? something with massive potential comes to galway and every picture taken in the two weeks are going to have 11 giant eye sores in the back round.

they should get a beer company to paint them to look like beer cans as a sponsorship thing if they cant get rid of em ...........no?

sunicol

Hi guys, i know it's a while back you were discussing prices etc but any guidance on which area wld be best to stay in wld be great. Salthill or down near the docks???

DKR

Planning on heading to salthill for the inshore races on weekend of 30th May. Have not been to Salthill before and hoping to launch a rib. Can anhyone let me know if there is an accessible public slip at salthill. or nearby if it is very busy. I have sailed at Galway Bay sailing Club in Oranmore before so I know that is an option.

biko

sunicol wrote: »

Hi guys, i know it's a while back you were discussing prices etc but any guidance on which area wld be best to stay in wld be great. Salthill or down near the docks???

Get something in the city, Salthill is about 20-25 mins walk away and traffic can be quite bad. In town you're only minutes away from the docks.

Steyr

JustMary wrote: »

Remind me, who are the two major fuel suppliers involved?

Perhaps if Galway residents all stopped buying fuel from 'em, they might get the hint and get moving ...

See how far that gets ya.

4arc

why are the tanks there? that area and the coal depot round the corner over looking the water should (in theory anyways) be some of the most expensive land in the city.

how come it was never developed? the other side of the docks is quite nice and apartments there cost quite alot!

was sitting at the claddagh the last day admiring the view of the long walk and wondering why there was a load of wharehouses and industrial buildings along the shore out towards renmore, an area only 5 minutes walk from town.

how can people give out about the state of the docks when we let the docks re-development proposal woth 1.5 billion be refused when anything would be better than whats there at the moment.

snubbleste

Saw this in an article in the galway independent. Isn't it an offence to light a bonfire, are Let's Do It Galway advocating illegal activity?

Meanwhile, Let's Do It Galway has called on Galway people to light up the coast with traditional bonfires to greet the yachts and mark their passage into Galway Bay.

biko

It's illegal to burn rubbish, not to light a fire AFAIK IANAL

ronnie3585

The should burn those fecking tanks!

There must be no chance of them being removed now.

biko

From snubblestes article

A reliable source told the Galway Independent that for the first time the Topaz oil tanks on the docks will be empty of fuel by this weekend.

JohnCleary

snubbleste wrote: »

Saw this in an article in the galway independent. Isn't it an offence to light a bonfire, are Let's Do It Galway advocating illegal activity?

Who cares, fires are fun

Storm 10

The 1st yachts in Volvo Race had been due to arrive in Rio last Friday 20th March.
Today is the 26th of March and they still have not arrived in port, if this were to happen on the Galway leg of the race they would have missed a full week in Galway which would cause major problems for people who would have booked Hotels etc.

The reason for them being late is due to no wind which could happen in the Atlantic in May.

JohnCleary

Good point, sickener for anyone who has to rent accomodation. Personally I hope it arrives a few days later than planned so i'll be finished exams

civis_liberalis

So them oil tanks at the dock won't be removed so?

Robbo

civis_liberalis wrote: »

So them oil tanks at the dock won't be removed so?

I was told last night that recent deliveries have gone to the new tanks and the old ones are empty.

Now they could have them stripped down overnight if they spread a rumour they were made of copper to the right sources...

biko

They better get right on it, those tanks are monsters

s_carnage

Magnus wrote: »

They better get right on it, those tanks are monsters

I wonder if they just painted them black with a white head and then got Guinness to sponsor the week. They might just blend in and raise a bit of money for when they do decide to do up the docks, be it 20 years or so. :rolleyes:

civis_liberalis

Robbo wrote: »

I was told last night that recent deliveries have gone to the new tanks and the old ones are empty.

Trucks were coming and going from there today.

The tanks being an eye-sore isn't the problem. Painting them like pints of Guinness would be nice but the reason they want them down is because the ground they are built on has been promised for use to the Ocean Race crowd.

civis_liberalis

Robbo wrote: »

I was told last night that recent deliveries have Now they could have them stripped down overnight if they spread a rumour they were made of copper to the right sources...

I ken tella ya now boss that ders no coppers bein in dat now.

foxy_19-89

s_carnage wrote: »

I wonder if they just painted them black with a white head and then got Guinness to sponsor the week. They might just blend in and raise a bit of money for when they do decide to do up the docks, be it 20 years or so. :rolleyes:

that was my idea

s_carnage

foxy_19-89 wrote: »

that was my idea

Great minds.....

eamohall

SALE OF HARBOUR PARK SITE PAVES WAY FOR DECOMMISSIONING OF OIL TANKS

Tue 31st March 2009
The sale of an oil terminal at the Harbour Park in Galway city has paved the way for the decommissioning of Topaz oil tanks at the Docks.
Edward Holdings, owned by Gerry Barrett, has acquired the Enwest oil terminal, for an estimated sum of more than 30 million euro.
The oil terminal is a 6.5 acre site in the Harbour park and has been in commission phase since January.
Over the past few days, a large number of tankers have been waiting in the port to discharge into the new Enwest facility.
Topaz is due to operate the Enwest facility, paving the way for it to decommission the controversial tanks at the Docks.
The decommissioning of the tanks could begin early next week, if all legal aspects are completed.

civis_liberalis

eamohall wrote: »

Over the past few days, a large number of tankers have been waiting in the port to discharge into the new Enwest facility.

Excuse my ignorance, but where is this new facility anyway?

galvianlord

all over GBFM there, guy from Topaz saying that they are ready to move into the new terminal from tomorrow, and work should begin on taking down the tanks next week. looks like they'll be down!

galwayrush

Work to start tomorrow on taking down the tanks.:cool: