Magazine Issue 5&6 - Winter 1997
Campaign Updates

Huntingdon Death Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences is the biggest contract animal testing laboratory in the country and according to their own literature, are able to test any product on any creature with 66,000 animals to choose from. Its clientele reads like a who’s who of multinationals. With sinister looking fences and rolls of razor wire, it is obvious that the perpetrators of these cruel practices do not want the public to know what is happening behind the corporate walls. After a freelance journalist infiltrated the complex and, using a secret camera, exposed the malpractices on a Channel 4 documentary, the government called for an inquiry.

The share prices plummeted and two technicians have been charged with cruelty (they each got 60 hrs community service). Following protests focusing on the hunger strike of Barry Horne, the first Animal Liberation camp was set up outside the laboratory. HLS had eviction papers served within three days. Pickets operated every day informing an increasingly concerned workforce of 1,400. The eviction was peaceful and well covered in the press - nice people locked on with one in a tree and one down a tunnel. The next day HLS announced that the government had decided to renew their vivisection licence. The little faith that the protestors did have in the government has gone but a new camp has been set up and is asking for the following : Vegan food, tarps, tools, and the usual tat plus PEOPLE either as weekend visitors or more permanent. This is one of the most inspiring and exciting actions for a long time. This hell-hole can and will be shut down.

Contact : Camp Mobile : 0589 026435. Directions (road) : From the A1/A14 roundabout by Huntingdon, take the A1 north. The camp is by the road on the left after a few minutes.

Barry Horne spent 44 days on Hunger Strike. On 12th Nov. he was found guilty on all charges including pocession of an incendiary device at Bristol Crown Court. Barry Horne Support group tel: 0171 2783068 or email: barry@londonaa.demon.co.uk.

Faslane Update
After being issued an eviction notice for July 28th, with only the permanent members of the camp offered council housing if they left ‘peacefully’ (are we ever anything but peaceful?!) Faslane Peace Camp began fortifications. Currently there are about thirty lock-ons, one tree-house, several holes and tunnels developing and plans for walkways and a tower. The MoD Plod are doing their best to make life at the camp difficult: with increased patrolling; refusal to let the collection of firewood continue from the former St Andrew’s School behind the camp; even the taking of canoes from across the road on land which, although officially MoD, they have safely been kept on for years (these were later reclaimed).

The actual eviction date passed without much action (from either side) but now everyone is preparing to face the bailiffs - it could be within days, it could be a matter of months. Some local councillors have said on national TV that if they faced a Manchester type eviction they may back down, yet the first court date has been set for November 5th so it is possible that the camp has been mis-informed in an effort to make them drop their guard.

Faslane is a beautiful place to visit, set in the heart of the Scottish hills surrounding Gareloch (which makes the base even more disgusting). You are sure to get a warm welcome, so pack your thermal underwear and waterproofs and get up there! - the camp is just a short and cheap train ride from Glasgow to Helensburgh, followed by a bus/hitching to the camp. The camp has recently produced a very specific wish list, and any useful tat or money would be gratefully received - but people are better! The camp may not be around for much longer so use this as your excuse for a late summer holiday in Scotland!

Please write to Argyll and Bute Council, Kilmory, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA 31 8RT.
Contact the camp at: Faslane Peace Camp, Shandon, Helensburgh, G84 8NT, 01436 820 901
TriDENT Ploughshares
“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4.) Trident Ploughshares is inviting activists to make a commitment to peace and disarm by non-violently, openly and accountably disabling the British nuclear Trident system by the 1st January 2000.

Between Oct. 1997 and March 1998 several hundred activists, will organise into small, independent, support groups - ‘affinity groups’ of between three to ten people. In May 1988 they will sign a ‘Pledge to prevent nuclear crime’ which will publicly commit themselves to peacefully attempting to disarm a Trident nuclear submarine - either at Faslane or Coulport nuclear bases. The Government will then have three months to responsibly disarm the submarines in accordance with the many international treates they have signed including the Non Poliferation Treaty 1968.

Unless there is an absolute commitment by the British Government to disarm weapons by 2000 then the first peroid of plough shares from August 11th to 25th, 1988 will follow.

Each affinity group will take part in a minimum two day workshop to prepare themselves physically, spiritually and emotionally. A handbook and video will be available and meetings held regularly. A ‘model’ legal defence based on the World Courts Advisory Opinon on the Legality and use of Nuclear Weapons (8th July 1996) will be available. Further actions on three monthly intervals may be necessary.

Tel: 01603 611953 Fax: 01603 666879. E-mail: reforest@gn.apc.org
Trident Ploughshares 2000, 42-46 Bethel St, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1NR

CAAT
As well as preparing for a busy autumn of actions, Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) has been popping up all over the country holding discussions, workshops, and letter writing campaigns, among other things....

Discussions were held in Birmingham centred around a “Killing Jobs Day” on July 12th highlighting Land Rover’s (who are based in Birmingham) participation in arms supplies to Indonesia. In Newcastle, Firat Erbil met CAAT supporters to discuss the trade of military equipment to Indonesia, focusing on a local Vickers factory selling technology to the Turkish regime.

A peace camp has been set up outside the Alvis factory in Coventry and a petition, of 700+ local people, calling for an end to the Alvis tank deal to Indonesia, was handed to Robin Cook while he was attending meetings as part of the arms sales review. Nottingham campaigners decided to raise the issue of Heckler and Koch’s supplying weaponry to Indonesia, by leafletting workers at the site after a speech given by Arsenio Bano, an East Timorese exile.

CAAT has also recently launched a report in the Commons concerning the economy and the arms trade - “How the UK subsidises the business of death.” It has also been discovered that the Labour government has OKed exports of weaponry to Indonesia - going back on much of what they said in their ethical foreign policy.

More recent campaigns included a mass blockade of the Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition, involving around 1000 people, 89 of which were arrested. Just a month later CAAT organised another blockade - this time of COPEX after a march led by a formerly imprisoned Tibetan monk - the main entrance was blockaded for the whole day.

Forest Action Network - British Columbia’s ‘Great Bear Rainforest’
In July European environmentalists visited British Columbia’s ‘Great Bear Rainforest’ meeting Canadian NGO’s, government, timber giants and small local businesses.

The situation is exactly as local Canadian NGO’s such as the Forest Action Network and Greenpeace have been saying. Clearcutting of large areas is still the ‘silvicultural prescription’ used in 99% of the oldgrowth areas, streams are not being fully protected and none of the planned wildlife zones have been implemented.

The new BC Forest Practice Code, much trumpeted by the Government/timber industry coalition, is a sham. In practice most of its key environmental clauses are being overruled at the local forest official’s discretion, when there is any conflict between extracting timber cheaply and environmental values.

Essentially the Code merely carpets the steps to the gallows. Forest tenure systems in BC fail local communities. Big outside companies such as Interfor get timber licenses with ease, but bureaucratic hurdles, extra high stumpage costs for small firms, and short periods of tenure make it difficult for locals to raise capital or work the forests that surround them. Burson-Marsteller’s involvement only became evident when a BC enviro-group was faxed a copy of the protocol but the fax, supposedly from the Band Council’s office, had a “fax senders” telephone number on it which turned out to be the number of Burston Marsteller’s Vancouver office. (ooops!)

Burston Marsteller (see CW2 pg 9) are the PR company that set up the industry funded “Forest Alliance” that combats environmental campaigns and sets up “astro-turf”, supposedly independent local groups in support of the industry. Western Forest Products are a major funder of Burston Marsteller’s Forest Alliance campaign.

There is a divisive and bitter conflict in the local Nuxalk First Nation. Government and industry are using and encouraging this to their own advantage. Most of this conflict does not concern logging, however the present elected Band Council are agreeing to industrial logging in return for a few jobs, ten at this time, while the traditional hereditary chiefs only want a small amount of ecologically sound logging that provides long-term, labour intensive jobs.

(for more info., see article At Loggerheads, Corporate Watch issue 4)
Forest Action Network UK c/o 4 Kingsley House, Avonmore Place, London W14 8RY tel/fax 0171 602 5889; wildwood@gn.apc.org
Kebele Culture Project vs Lloyds Bank
Bristol’s community centre calls for full dress rehearsal for eviction. Kebele is a non-profit collective that has been in operation for nearly two years. A regular vegan cafe, we run video evenings, talks, kids workshops, bike workshops, poetry nights, acoustic music, and much more. There is also an information centre that includes their magazine and video library.

They have strong support from the local community and together are committed to defend the cooperative against the servants of capitalism. PEOPLE before PROFITS. Lloyds Bank, who now own the building, wish to evict the collective, despite our repeated attempts to negotiate a future for the building as a housing co-op. If evicted, it will be a loss to the community and will cost Lloyds Bank more than the building is worth. Can you help? Kebele are asking anyone interested to come and visit. Help us decorate, defend the centre, bring useful tat etc.

There is a small chink of light: Lloyds Bank are now offering to give the building to a community Arts Trust called the Sulis Trust. This would allow the bank to write off the building’s value of about £20,000 as a tax break. The Collective has until November 22nd to decide whether to accept the offer - or face eviction.

The Kebele Culture Project, 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol. Tel 0117 939 9469, Fax 0117 914 0188. .
We are also asking people to write to the solicitors representing Lloyds Bank :

AJ Breckonridge Esq, Messrs. Lloyds Davidson Solicitors, Bridgehouse, 48-52 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1QD.

Groundswell
...is a network of independent groups working together since 1995 on campaigns to help lowpaid / casual workers and the unemployed. Some groups have focused on the JSA, Project Work (PW), Welfare to Work etc.
Claimants are offered a “training placement” for 13 weeks working fulltime for as little as £45 per week - an evil way of reducing the unemployment figures and giving businesses very cheap labour.

Brighton has recently experienced action against project work. AV Seawork (AVS) were holding interviews for people to run PW when protestors descended on the office. When they opened for business half of their office was occupied. Three days later they were invaded again. The outside of their office has also been spraypainted “SLAVE LABOUR” by persons unknown. AVS are now rumoured to want to pull out of the scheme. Hove YMCA, Hove Engineerium, The Brighthelm Centre and Brighton Oxfam have also received pressure to pull out of the “training” scheme.

One of the worst aspects of PW is the threat of having benefit cut for 2 or 4 weeks upon refusal to accept a position. Groundswell have set up the Dolebusters phonetree of individuals who are willing to help each other by joining demos inside benefit offices if anyone gets their benefit cut.

Groundswell’s groups are doing excellent work in uniting the downtrodden in the UK against a foul system. The basic strategy is that if we stick together we’ll be able to stop the system stamping on individuals. For more information and to find the contact details of your local group call: 01865 723750.

Down to Earth - International campaign on environment and development issues in Indonesia
You may have received the Bank of Scotland’s recent direct mailing shot which starts: Are you concerned about the environment? Do you use a credit card? The letter then invites you to apply for a GreenCard MasterCard to help “support the causes that are near to you and so fundamental to us all.”

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh-based bank is part of an international syndicate financing a massive paper pulp mill in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The companies behind the mill and its feeder plantation are subsidiaries of the Barito Pacific Group. This development threatens the livelihoods of over a hundred thousand people. The companies have already felled inhabitants’ rubber plantations and fruit trees and bulldozed their fields. Mature forest has been cleared to establish plantations of fast-growing trees to supply the plant. Waste from the plant will be disposed into the River Lematang which supplies all domestic needs and provides a living for fishermen. Local people’s land rights have been violated and many compensation cases are outstanding.

The Bank of Scotland has ignored the long-standing protests of local communities and Indonesian NGOs. In a letter to DtE it claims that “particular care has been taken to ensure that the project is environmentally friendly”, although it agreed to its $9million investment before the Indonesian Government had even considered the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment for the mill.

Indonesian groups want the scheme to be scrapped. They are calling for foreign investors to withdraw from the scheme. If you want to support them, close your Bank of Scotland account, refuse the Bank’s GreenCard and write to the Bank to tell them why. An information pack is available from Down to Earth campaigns, 6 Matthews Close, Tasburgh, Norfolk

NR15 1LJ tel 01508 471413 or email dtecampaign@gn.apc.org
Down to Earth, 59 Athenlay Rd, London SE15 3EN; tel/fax 0171 732 7984; dte@gn.apc.org

DELTA 3
Third newsletter on Shell, Nigeria and Ogoni, just out. 40 pages of news, views and features, focusing on resistance movements in Nigeria. Also includes history of Shell (to mark its centenary), analysis of Shell’s lies, interviews with Owens Wiwa and the late Claude Ake, details on Shell’s political links and much much more. Available for (or free on e-mail) from Delta, Box Z, 13 Biddulph Street, Leicester LE2 1BH; 0116 255 3223; lynx@gn.apc.org; www.oneworld.org/delta.

EXXON - ESSO
Of the world’s oil companies Exxon (called Esso in Europe) has been the most overt in its determination to wreck international efforts to combat the problem of climate change. Some oil companies have actually started to back calls for carbon dioxide (C02) reduction targets (although see comment on p.33).

On October 13th this year, Exxon Chairman Lee Raymond, addressed a large international industry gathering in China and urged developing countries, especially China, to address their environmental problems by ‘increasing, not curtailing, the use of fossil fuels’ (and hence generating economic growth which will pay for the cleanup of the mess caused by economic growth). Perhaps also related to Exxon’s design’s on the emerging petrol markets of Asia. Raymond insisted that ‘the case for so called global warming is far from air tight’. (Full speech on http://www.greenpeace.org/ ).

Meanwhile in the US Exxon has led the charge in demanding that these exact same developing countries should not be left out of any global agreements to reduce emissions, as this might unfairly impact on US industry. Anyone spot any inconsistencies? Exxon is a major sponsor of the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), the climate-wrecking US lobby group (see CW4, p.12). Dr Brian Flannery, former Chairman of the GCC is directly employed by Exxon.

Exxon is one of the oldest and largest oil companies in the world, its petroleum sales amount to approximately 9% of world total, generating around US$130 bn per year (US$40 bn in Europe)
E-mail or fax Exxon: UK Chairman Keith.H.Taylor@Exxon.sprint.com Fax: 0171 245 2803. If you have any campaigning ideas to share, send them to to Greenpeace at: Exxoff@uk.greenpeace.org for possible inclusion on a web bulletin board. Let Greenpeace know you’ve taken action.

100 days of action against the oil industry

7 august. 40 activists storm london hq of chevron. 12 people blockade themselves in sixth floor offices. Emergency board meeting next morning decides environmental impact assessment necessary for controversial cardigan bay development.
8 august. greenpeace begins 9 day occupation of stena dee mobile oil rig heading for bp north atlantic oilfield.
19 august. BP backs down on claim against greenpeace for 1.4m damages as environmental movement mobilises.
23 august. 25 bp garages across the uk are picketed.
13 september. BP chemicals plant in hull has open day...activists attend in costume to tell the truth about bp in colombia.BP attempts to launch record number of helium balloons but is obstructed by a pin.
23 september. Greenpeace begins legal challenge of uk government over licensing of oil blocks in north atlantic. Preliminary hearing lasts record 3 weeks, eventually defeated on technicality. Start of conference on future of uk oil industry in swish london hotel. Activists cancel conference using fliers explaining climate change.
24 september. Energy minister john battle reassures remaining delegates with promise of government support. Bridal procession enters in middle of speech. Banner reads DTI 4 Oil - wedded to climate change. Confetti all round. Wedding march plays. Conference halts while delegates congratulate john battle in hotel bar.
27 september. Thousands attend fuming mad rally in london.
16 october. Oxted surrey. Banners on homes of BP and Texaco directors. Climate change - just say no. Leaflet to neighbours warning of climate criminals in the community.
18 october. Shell transport is 100 years old. Garages around the country picketed.
20 october. Thames-side home of shell chairman mark moody-stuart. Banner reading 100 years too long displayed. Shell party for institutional investors in london guildhall. Demons and grim reaper attend to highlight climate change and shell collusion with indonesian government in timor gap.
22 october. Billboard advertisement appears in norwich. 100 years too long. No more Shell on earth. Also in october. Japanese embassy picketed over lack of commitment to kyoto negotiations. kangaroo carrying slogan australians couldnt give a xxxx about climate change attends commonwealth heads of government meeting in edinburgh.
10 november. Second anniversary of ken saro-wiwa execution. Demo at shell centre and nigerian high commission.
11 november. Protest at queen’s visit to shell centre. Buckingham palace statement. We do not necessarily endorse the company and all the time many individual petrol stations picketed. University careers presentations by oil companies are corrected.
1-10 december. Climate summit in kyoto. Politicians fail to take any real action. Citizens forced to dismantle oil industry themselves.

TAKE ACTION, THE OIL INDUSTRY MUST GO...
get connected: 100days@waveland.org; 0171 865 8234. Or Box CW, 111 Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RQ.
Contaminated Land
Increasingly Regional Planning Guidance is placing greater emphasis on using so called ‘brown field’ sites; as opposed to green field sites. Although this policy is environmentally desirable, what happens if the brown fieldsite is contaminated by toxic waste? The fear is that unscrupulous developers, particularly of housing will be unwilling or unable to ‘de-contaminate’ sites leading to ill health for new residents. Other local residents may also suffer ill effects simply due to disturbance of top soil and generation of dust. First point of contact for campaigners is Communities Against Toxics (see contact list inside front cover). Three campaigns have recently contacted Corporate Watch. Here are details of two:

Location: Enfield Lock, London.
Developer: Fairview Estates Ltd. subsidary of Hillsdown Holdings PLC.
Campaign contact: Beth Peddeler 0181 292 8781

This 100 acre site is heavily contaminated with toxic waste including: mercury, chromium, selenium, boron, cyanide, lead, arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel, three kinds of asbestos, PHB’s, coal, tar, etc (Pass the Positive News!!). Fairview have planning permission to build 1,300 homes. A munitions plant, Lee Enfield Armaments was situated on the site. It was formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) thus confering crown immunity from prosecution. Interestingly Sir John Nott, former Defence Secretary at time of the sale is a director of Hillsdown Holdings.

As is common with other contaminated land, Fairview offer mortgages with very inviting starter mortgages. Few, if any bank or building society would consider lending for such a ‘blighted’ property.

Initially Fairview conducted in-house analysis of the contaminated site, however criticism led to the appointment by Fairview of an independent company: Aspinwell Ltd. Studies given to the local council didn’t accurately consider uptake of toxins by plants - Phyto-toxicity as it’s known. It’s feared the shallow topsoil will let the clay dry and crack allowing the passage of toxins. Furthermore, councillors ignored levels of contaminants ten times the acceptable levels at which soil should be removed.

The amelioration measures include: removing contamination ‘hot spots’ and then a cap consisting of a two and half foot clay barrier with 6 inches of top-soil - in back gardens, less in font guardens and open space. However at Beckton, East London a similar cap but of greater depth failed causing illness, blistered hands, and e.coli in water supplies. In the worst case contaminants can effect the unborn, be carcinogenic and then the only option and the most expensive is to remove the soil from site or evacuate.

Capping a site requires maintenance and at Enfield Locke a maintenance company is to be set up by Fairview called Enviral. Residents own, by shareholding the company, and they are bound by contract to pay a maintenace fee. However Enviral has no access rights to private land and who monitors Enviral’s work? In this country once land is sold the previous owner, in this case Fairview carries no liability, and makes no guarantee. They can’t be sued or damages pursued.

The seven hundred strong Enfield Locke Action Group Association has approached the local council, but they ignored them despite a 1,500 signiture petition. A letter with seventy detailed points to Michael Meacher, Secretary of State for the Environment has brought no reply after twelve weeks. It calls for a public enquiry into the development.

Location: Lockes Wharf, Isle of Dogs, London
Developer: St Georges North London Ltd by subsidary St Georges PLC
Campaign Contact: John Hunt 0171 538 4782

This site was originally owned by Groveside Homes, a subsiary of Tarmac but was sold at a loss to St Georges. The land is contaminated by a former lead works. Twenty years ago nineteen childern were hospitalised by playing on the site. Residents are concerned at the indepeneance of the consultants Enviro-Tec Ltd, given that they are being paid by the developers. Furthermore since planning permission was given by the former Docklands Developement Corporation, which now longer exists .It cannot be revoked by Tower Hamlets Borough Council. A judical review may be needed to stop development.

PROTEST MARCH AGAINST P&O
Over 6000 fishermen, farmers, peasants and artisans from Vadhwan, north of Bombay, India and surrounding villages in Dahanu Taluka rallied to protest against the State Government and the multinational Peninsular & Oriental (P&O) company on Monday 17th November at their local Praant office.

Chanting slogans men, women and children with posters, banners and an effigy of P&O, that was later set on fire, were protesting against a multi-berth port to be built by P&O of Australia at Vadhwan. The villagers are incensed that the state government is ignoring the fragility of the ecosystem and attempting to break the national designation that is supposed to protect the area around Dahanu.

Addressing the gathering, leaders cutting across political lines vowed that they will not let the government lay the foundation stone of the port, much less complete the project. They said the people of the region plan to drive P&O away, and that they will use non-violent means or even resort to violence against P&O, if the government did not pay heed to their demands. According to Ashok Ambire, Secretary of the People’s Alliance for the Implementation of the Law (PAIL) who organised the rally, the state government was in contempt of the Supreme Court’s national designation of Dahanu as one of the three designated eco-fragile regions in the country. It is considered to be the lungs of Mumbai, a suburb of Bombay. The 32-berth port and the ancillary industries that it would attract will play havoc with the environment not only of Dahanu but also the suburbs of Mumbai. According to PAIL ten thousand fishermen’s families from the villages around Vadhavan would be the worst affected by the Port. Others familes dependent on agriculture and the Dye-making industry that thrives there, will face losing their livelihood.

The tribal leader from Palghar called Kaluram Dhodage of Bhoomi Sena spoke of the solidarity between peasants and fishermen to protect Dahanu at all cost. He said the majority of the population of Dahanu are the indigenous tribal people, the Warlis. Addressing the gathering he said that ‘the government was planning to build a port that would further harm to their culture and worse destroy the environment that they live in’.

Holiday Inn pulls out of Tibet
From October 1997 the hotel group Holiday Inn will not be renewing its partnership with the Chinese authorities to operate the only luxury hotel in Tibet. Although Holiday Inn gave no reason for its decision its believed the decision has been influenced by an international boycott of the hotel group, launched in 1993. The announcement comes only a few days after the USA joined the boycott of both holiday Inn and its parent company Bass PLC. Protests have been held at Bass PLC Annual General Meetings, outside Holiday Inn hotels in the UK and the USA and at international industry affairs. Contact. Free Tibet Campaign Tel: 0171 359 7573 or Fax: 0171 354 1026

Save the Whales AGAIN!
The Irish government, dismayed at the unfair “scientific” whaling activities of Norway and Japan, are proposing a new deal on the international whale-hunting moratorium. They want to bring back “a little bit” of commercial whaling, just within coastal waters.

Elliot Morley, Minister responsible for whaling at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), has shown no sign of opposing this proposal. The RSPCA and the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society are campaigning hard to protect whales from a renewal of corporate whaling. Dig out your old T-shirts and badges and that lovely Nik Kershaw single and join the battle!
Call the : Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society on 01225 334511. Or write to : Elliot Morley at MAFF, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH. Or send him a friendly but BIG fax.
Roads...
The latest national road traffic forecasts predict that by 2016 traffic will rise by 24% - 51% over 1996 levels. By 2031 a 36% - 84% increase is expected.
...and Runways
A European Commission report forecasts that aircraft emissions could grow five-fold by 2100 if current trends in air travel continue. Global aircraft carbon dioxide emissions are currently growing by 3-4% a year, double the rate of other industies.
On December 5th and 6th groups in 15 European countries will be involved in actions around airports.
In the UK, contact Jeff Hazzard, Colin Howden. Email: campaign@mfoe.u.net.com. Tel: 0161 834 8221
Birmingham Northern Relief Road
Having survived the recent roads review, the campaign against the BNRR continues to grow. Though work is not due to start until 1999, “Greenwood Camp” has now appeared close to the A38 Sutton Coldfield bypass (accessible from the northbound carriageway) and has a good full-time population setting about building defences. ‘OK’ Simon of the camp describes local support as “immense and overwhelming”. Meanwhile the ‘Alliance Against the BNRR’ is seeking a judicial review of the decision to go ahead with the thirty mile motorway. Birmingham FoE can be contacted on 0121 6326909
You can contact Kvaerner, the main contractors, at St. James House, 23 King Street, London. Tel.: 0171 766 2000.

A130, Essex
Essex County Council plans to construct a new dual carriageway from Chelmsford to Southend. The £100 million project is due to destroy around 20 miles of rural Essex, and was designed by repeat offenders, WS Atkins. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Essex, FoE, and Transport 2000, amongst others are opposing the scheme which cuts through Curry Hill near Rettendon village. Clive Bennett of the Essex Alliance for Sustainable Transport (EAST) observes that the council is moving ahead with undue haste on the project, possibly in order to pre-empt the government’s White Paper, “Towards an Integrated Transport Network”. He describes the road itself as part of an “outer M25 by stealth”. Contact EAST on 01376 349739 / 01206 383123

Teddy Bear Woods
Meanwhile near Weymouth, Dorset, Friends Against the Brown Route are fighting a proposed new road that runs through Teddy Bear Woods. A camp, with twelve tree-houses, has been going since May 1996, and has now been further fortified by tunnels. The Brown Route is eight miles of dual carriageway cutting through downland, farmland, woods and meadows, destroying the largest open space in Weymouth.

One of the most worrying aspects of the proposed eight mile relief road is the plan to drive it through the northern edge of a landfill site. The Lodmoor landfill site, which ceased official operation in 1988, is claimed to have been out of use since 1984 and is known to contain all kinds of toxic chemicals including various pesticides and mercury. Local campaigners are attempting to gather evidence of the illegal toxic waste dumping in order to secure a public inquiry. Contact Teddy Bear Woods on 0468 221454.

A million toilets squatted - and a RESULT!
Watts Blake Bearne (WBB) want to quarry ball clay for bathroom fittings in Devon. Their expansion plans threaten over a mile of the rivers Teign and Bovey, including homes of otters and kingfishers. Since the proposed area was occupied in early July, seven camps have been set up and over fifty people are now on the site. A significant victory has already been won; John Prescott has received over 3,000 letters opposing the development. A march to London was slightly frustrated when neither John Prescott nor Michael Meacher came out, preferring to throw one of their underlings into the fray; but that didn’t stop a highly successful banner drop outside the Department of the Environment the following day.

STOP PRESS: All the lobbying and pressure has paid off! On Monday 13 October, loads of press turned up in the camp asking for reactions to the story that had broken that morning. The bemused camp-dwellers turned on the radio to find that Prescott has referred the entire development to a public enquiry which will take years to sort out. The rivers are safe for a few more years at least - nice one! The camp’s now tatted down.
Contacts: camp mobile 0467 622825, or the excellent new Mobile Office on 0370 878920.
Snailmail c/o Coral Cottage, Ventiford, Teigngrace, Newton Abbot TQ12 6QL

Stop The Overhead Pylons
Scottish Power PLC are intending to construct a transmission line between a substation beside Hunterston Nuclear Power Plant and Ireland. Forty miles of overhead pylons are required to reach the Scottish coast. The pylons pass through Ayrshire and into the Cumnock and Dune Valley - eight miles designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty containing four SSSI’s. The undersea section passes through Beaufort’s Trench, a dumping ground for armaments, radioactive and chemical waste. The cable laying has caused materials to be washed up on the Scottish Coast.
Contact: Scottish Greens - 0131 3375227 or 0131 4471843 SNP 0131 2263661

Ashton Court Quarry
Twenty acres of public park on the western edge of Bristol has now been leased to Pioneer Aggregates (Australia) to expand their Durnford Quarry.

Despite the notorous failure rate in translocation of habitats, Pioneer intend to attempt to move the topsoil to a nearby site.
Call: 0117 942 0129 or browse http://www.gn.apc.org/cycling\ashtoncourt
Dead Woman’s Bottom
The Bull’s Green Link Road will open up access to even more of the Mendips in Somerset for quarrying and possible industrial development. Its route cuts through Asham Wood, threatening 10% of the country’s entire Greater Horseshoe bat population. Somerset County Council have pledged a million pounds towards the road, while local schoolchildren have to share books.
A camp’s been going for the past three months at Dead Woman’s Bottom near the village of Nunney; OS grid reference ST717462: there are plenty of other camps around the entire Whatley quarry site.

Contact Dead Woman’s Bottom Camp, Near Green Farm, Chantry, Frome BA11 3LY; 01749 880144
The local FoE group are legal observers for the area: call 01749 880426, or occasionally 0374 750120