SCOTTISH POWER PROPAGANDA BACKFIRES

Desperate to persuade a sceptical public that Gas Plant II is not the environmental desecration that it actually is, Scottish Power have launched another clumsy stunt that has comprehensively miss-fired. Terrified of running proper public meetings where RAP would hit them with uncomfortable truths, Scottish Power are deluging members of the public with "Community Information Leaflets" - glossy exercises in spin and PR - sent to peoples' homes with a covering letter beginning with the weasel words "Cheshire County Councillors have suggested we write to you", to give a spurious "official credibility" to this exercise in propaganda. Said RAP Chairman John Halstead: "Once again Scottish Power have shot themselves in the foot. My phone's been red hot with furious people phoning to ask what's going on, and expressing their fury at such ludicrously biased nonsense being sent into their homes." Added Dr John Edwards, RAP's Press Spokesman: "Apart from anything else, the information leaflet is full of misrepresentation, as there's no national need at all for Gas Plant II, it would be big, noisy, ugly and polluting, and above all there's a frightening safety question Scottish Power are refusing to discuss." The safety problem is WHERE'S THE SALT? Over two weeks since RAP broke the story, Scottish Power are still refusing to discuss why there would be less than 10 metres of protective salt strata beneath their underground gas cavities, when UK experts British Gas Storage, insist on 100 metres of solid salt strata. The silence is deafening and becoming a scandal. This is serious.

GEORGE OSBORNE BACKS RAP And we're still asking WHERE'S THE SALT

GEORGE OSBORNE BACKS RAP And we're still asking WHERE'S THE SALT

RAP are delighted to announce that their campaign to stop Gas Plant II - Scottish Power's get-rich-quick scheme, despoiling rural Cheshire - has the full backing of Tatton MP George Osborne, one of Parliament's youngest members, and a rising star, whose vigorous and well-briefed performance in debates has made ministers tremble. George Osborne will speak at RAP's first public meeting at 6.30 pm, March 15th, Goostrey Village Hall. RAP are also organising a separate meeting the following night at 6.00 pm, March 16th at Cranage Village Hall Said RAP Chairman John Halstead:

We welcome George Osborne to the growing band of people who have taken a careful, considered look at Scottish Power's proposals and found them deeply flawed. A man like George does not lightly give his support to any old cause, and his support is a key piece of evidence that Scottish Power are just plain wrong in what they are trying to do. Added Press Spokesman John Edwards: Scottish Power's response to our Where's the Salt' campaign, highlighting that there's not enough salt for safety around and under their planned gas cavities - is laughable. They just say all's well' and don't answer the key question: why are they planning only a few metres of salt under their cavities, when UK expert British Gas Storage, say there should be at least 100 metres? This is frightening and people should be worried.

SCOTTISH POWER: WHERE'S THE SALT?

RAP LAUCH a WEBSITE - AND DROP A NUKE ON SCOTTISH POWER: WHERE'S THE SALT?

In a meeting of journalists, photographers and invited guests at Woodside Golf Club, RAP formally launched this website and highlighted a fundamental failure in Scottish Power's plans for the gas plant: under the heading "WHERE'S THE SALT?" RAP's experts pointed out that safety standards, established by British Gas Storage (now Dynergy), are not being adhered to by Scottish Power.

Data indicate that there is an insufficient depth of salt at the planned site, to store the gas safely. To meet the desirable safety standards, would require cavities much nearer the surface, which at this shallower depth, would call into question the economic viability of the project.

Indeed, British Gas Storage are on record as having stated that the shallow salt deposits in Cheshire are unsuitable for large volume gas storage and that the only sites in the UK are in NE England, where the salt is 3 times the depth of that in Cheshire. Since British Gas Storage's views are public knowledge, to ignore them represents a potentially catastrophic oversight by Scottish Power, for whom this represents their first foray into salt cavity gas storage. Said a RAP spokesman: "Remember, it's not RAP who have set the safety parameters, it's British Gas Storage, so let Scottish Power argue with them as to why they have chosen not to adopt them!" Meanwhile this looks so serious that it calls into question Scottish Power's technical expertise.

Are these really the people to be entrusted with such a high risk project, where safety considerations should be absolute?

Cheshire Gas plant 2!

Same as before with its hat turned backwards and its fingers crossed Following last week's meeting with Scottish Power and Manweb, RAP's technical team has studied detailed documents specifying the latest planning application for the Byley Gas plant. The team found that the "new" Gas Plant would be: Big Ugly Noisy Polluting Risky Wide open to Terrorist attack And totally un-necessary - except to make megabucks for Scottish Power. Said RAP Chairman John Halstead: "The County Council refused the last application because its 'scale and extent' were 'inappropriate within the open countryside'. This new application's just as bad so there's no way anyone could accept it." And RAP spokesman Dr John Edwards said: "The fight is on and the first major events will be the up-coming Press Launch of our Website, followed by big public meetings to rally the people of Cheshire. I can't stress enough that there is real danger of Scottish Power getting a quick 'yes' to this proposal, if the public fail to act because they think the fight's all over." But Ominously for Scottish Power, RAP committee member David Ord added: "Having studied Scottish Power's plans we will soon be challenging the fundamental viability of their Gas Plant project. Details to follow - so watch this space for hot news!"

Scottish Power file a new application

Scottish Power lodge their latest Gas Plant application with Cheshire County Council.

ACTION STATIONS!

The Danger is real and the Fight is on Last night, Tuesday February 12th, representatives of RAP (Residents Against the Plant) met representatives of Scottish Power and Ineos Chlor, with Adrian Lea (Planning Officer at Cheshire County Council), to discuss Scottish Power's continued intention to build the Byley Gas Plant. Afterwards, in sombre mood, RAP Chairman John Halstead, stated: "They claimed they've responded to local concerns, but they're still building a major industrial complex in the heart of rural Cheshire - in fact their plans are now slightly bigger! It will still be noisy, ugly and risky: causing extra pollution, and still wide open to terrorist attack."

Added Press Officer, Dr John Edwards: "We questioned hard on how their small staff could defend this big site against terrorists. Scottish Power revealed technical details which we'll keep confidential, for security, but it was obvious the plant couldn't be defended unless guarded night and day by soldiers." Ex GP, RAP member Dr Jamie Atherton commented: "Scottish Power are bouncing this on the local community. They're running no public meetings, just a propaganda leaflet campaign and one low grade "Drop In Day" at Byley Village Hall. How can 20,000 local people learn anything from this?" John Halstead summed up: "This is now a serious matter of principle. If Scottish Power can put their Gas Plant in Byley - against the County Council's Structure Plan, and in the teeth of united local opposition - then anything can be built anywhere to serve selfish profit. So we'll mobilise public opinion and we'll fight this and win. We're clearing the decks for action! "

The Threat Returns from Scottish Power

Scottish power confirm they will re-apply to the County Council in February with a "new"(it isn't!) planning application "answering" (it doesn't!) objections to their old application. In fact, they're offering the old application with its fingers crossed and its hat turned backwards. They're offering:

Electric Compressors, not gas turbines, Just as dangerous, very noisy, still causing pollution (at the power stations generating the electricity).

Smaller buildings, but still surrounded by a major industrial/chemical complex in the heart of rural England.

"Only" 8 Monster underground Cavities instead of 9 - How kind!

Scottish Power are like a vandal who was going to smash all your windows, and is now offering to smash all but one.