The ExxonMobil CO2 pipeline pressure

In Wednesday night’s full council meeting, Cllr Nick Stuart’s motion to call upon the council to strongly object the ExxonMobil CO2 pipeline was met with an unanimous vote to action.

Cllr Stuart explained in depth the down fallings of the proposal and the great risk to the Island it posed, which as a result has gained a large amount of cross-party support. He called into question even the functionality of the pipeline itself, stating: “In spite of their millions of pounds in project promotion, their technology of carbon capture is both unproven at scale, at cost, and in terms of the science.”

MP for West Wight, Richard Quigley, remarked: “The only technology that has actually been proven is the digger that will dig the trench!”

Cllr Ed Blake, a commercial fisherman, discussed how the pipeline would not just be affecting the Island’s land, but also the sea life and surrounding waters, due to what he described as a “very delicate ecosystem.”

It was brought to the council’s attention by Cllr Julie Jones-Evans and Cllr Andrew Garratt that in 2020, almost 50 residents required hospital treatment and 200 were evacuated after the Denbury (now Exxon) pipeline ruptured in Satartia, Mississippi, releasing 31,000 barrels of CO2. Cllr Garratt spoke on the hopeful next steps, saying: “I think ExxonMobil needs to come clean on the risks, recognise there is an already established record of things going wrong, and ultimately I hope we’ll see the pressure of the people of the Isle of Wight so that they will withdraw their application before they even pursue it with goverment.”

In a statement, Cllr Stuart emphasised: “We urge Islanders to understand the immense damage this unnecessary pipeline does to our tourism economy, our landscape and our Island. If you are directly affected, organisations such as the National Farmers Union and the Country Landowners Association can provide expertise. Our advice is if you don’t like Exxon’s options tell them you object and that you will provide detailed objections if they proceed to a formal consultation.

“Please contact your councillors and MPs to tell them your thoughts and to offer your help to the campaign as the Island needs your support in opposing this dreadful scheme.”

A meeting last week saw the formation of the IOW Call to Action steering committee, chaired by non-politically-aligned, Christopher Davis. Mr Davis is behind a petition against the pipeline which has more than 31,000 signatures. You can add your support at iw.observer/pipeline-petition. The information from ExxonMobil can be found at iw.observer/pipeline-website.

The committee will determine the campaign’s strategy and raise awareness of the pipeline’s potential impact. Cllr Stuart highlighted the cross-party nature of the initiative and said he was optimistic about the outcome of its efforts.

ExxonMobil has extended its consultation with local communities and stakeholders until September 30. The oil giant acknowledges diverse views on its plans but has claimed there is a need for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in order to reduce emissions.