This week: Battle of Braefoot Bay ' Safety rules from countries with experience of handling liquid gas are going to be ignored.'
' Maybe - but we desperately need the jobs.'
At present, enormous quantities of gas are burnt off above North Sea oil rigs. With government encouragement, Esso and Shell plan to pipe it to a handling plant in Fife, where it will be stored as a liquid at more than minus 100 degrees centigrade.
Thus, energy now being wasted will be utilised, and jobs desperately needed in the area will be provided. But evidence gathered by representatives of the several thousand people who live within a mile or two of the proposed plant shows that their lives could be at risk. For, if there is a serious accident, the resultant ' fire-ball ' would be catastrophic. How far should the well-intentioned interests of multi-national companies and Whitehall override the passionately-held and well-researched stand of local people? This film examines what is wrong with the present system of official safety studies, public enquiries and ministerial processes.
Film cameraman NICK GIFFORD Film editor
SHELAGH BRADY Producer
ALAN PATIENT
Editor TIM SLESSOR