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28 March 2009 So after 3
years, and spending £1.74 million of SIC money on behalf of the
Charitable Trust, the best Viking Energy can come up with is their
version of ‘Tracy Island’. Accompanying this model of the Viking
Energy fantasy windfarm is a fairy storybook that they’ve posted to
every household in Shetland and a propaganda video on U-Tube.
It would be funny if the consequences weren’t potentially so tragic.
The similarity with the puppet show doesn’t end there; who exactly
is pulling Viking Energy ‘s strings? Perhaps it is the majority
shareholder Scottish and Southern Energy who is the puppeteer? The
Charitable Trust is a minority shareholder and from some comments
made at their ‘hand over the cash or else’ meeting, it would appear
that this might be the case. However, we don’t know because the
people of Shetland can’t be trusted with the details of the
agreements supposedly signed in their name between the shareholders.
Inadequate as the model is, it does at least give some idea of the
vast scale of industrialisation intended for the Central Mainland.
Their fairy storybook shows that Viking Energy is failing to provide
any further environmental information beyond the vague and
inadequate assumptions that was in their original scoping report and
‘consultation’ exercises. After all this time and public money why
is this? Why not publish the Environmental Impact Assessments now?
What is obvious is that the Central Mainland is the worst possible
choice of site in Shetland for an industrial development on this
scale. What I find even more incredible is that SIC councillors and
our politicians are taking everything Viking Energy says at face
value and not asking hard questions, particularly environmental
ones. Why have our councillors and MSP not asked for the opportunity
to consider the Environmental Impact Assessments before the planning
application is submitted?
The Viking Energy Project has been dreamed up by home-grown
political and economic fantasists who are determined to drive this
forward regardless of environmental consequences or human cost.
Despite their promise ‘if the people of Shetland don’t want it won’t
happen’, the final planning decision will be taken by another set of
political and economic fantasists in Edinburgh who will be willing
to play their ‘Trump card’ regardless of people’s wishes.
2,500 people that share these concerns have already signed the
petition opposing the Viking Energy project. If you have concerns
then please don’t sit on your hands waiting for someone else to act
on your behalf. There are three things you can do before it is too
late: (a) write with your concerns to your local councillors and to
your MSP; (b) seek out and sign the petition; (c) join Sustainable
Shetland.
Allen Fraser
Hamnavoe
Burra
pallenfraser@lineone.net
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