Aspects of the publicly acknowledged assessment of risk in siting-decisions in Scotland for potentially hazardous North Sea gas processing-installations are considered. Safety issues were of concern to the respective local authority councils and planning departments, the Health and Safety Executive, the developers seeking planning permission, and, in various instances, port authorities, Secretaries of State, and public-interest groups. The assessment of potential risk to the public by each of these main agencies is analysed and evaluated, illustrating key features from a decade which has seen significant changes in the art of risk assessment in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world, and related, though rather more modest, changes in practice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BarrellA C, 1981, “The work of the major hazards assessment” unit 34–43 in Scientific and Technical Studies, Planning for Major Hazards (Oyez, London)
2.
Council for Science and Society, 1976Superstar Technologies (Barry Rose, London)
3.
Council for Science and Society, 1977The Acceptability of Risks (Barry Rose, London)
4.
Council for Science and Society, 1982Technology and GovernmentCouncil for Science and Society, 3 St Andrew's Hill, London EC4, England
5.
CremerWarner, 1976Report on the Environmental Impact of the Proposed Shell UK (Expro) NGL Plant at Peterhead C1061; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
6.
CremerWarner, 1977aThe Environmental Impact of the Natural Gas Terminal at St Fergus CI 136; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
7.
CremerWarner, 1977bThe Hazard and Environmental Impact of the Proposed Shell NGL Plant and Esso Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran and Export Facilities at Braefoot Bay C1164; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
8.
CremerWarner, 1978aGuidelines for Layout and Safety Zones in Petrochemical Developments C2056; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
9.
CremerWarner, 1978bRadiofrequency Hazards at Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay C2188; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
10.
CremerWarner, 1978cRadiofrequency Hazards at Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay: An Outline Report C2160; Cremer and Warner, 140 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SQ, England
11.
CremerWarner, 1980aSafety Assessment of a Proposed Gas Reception Terminal and Substitute Natural Gas Plant at St Fergus, Scotland C2276; Cremer and Warner, 47 Holburn Street, Aberdeen, Scotland
12.
CremerWarner, 1980bSafety Assessment of a Proposed NGL Fractionation Storage and Export Facility at Nigg Bay, Scotland C2276; Cremer and Warner, 47 Holburn Street, Aberdeen, Scotland
13.
DavisL N, 1979Frozen Fire: Where Will it Happen Next? (Friends of the Earth, San Francisco, CA)
14.
Department of Energy, 1980, “A North Sea gas gathering system” Energy Paper 44 (HMSO, London)
15.
Department of Energy, 1981Report of the Public Local Inquiry into an Application by Shell UK Ltd for Authorisation for the Construction of a Pipeline to Convey Natural Gas Liquids Between St Fergus and MossmorranPipeline Inspectorate, Department of Energy, Thames House South, Millbank, London SW1, England
16.
FischoffBSlovicPLichtensteinS, 1981, “Lay foibles and expert fables in judgements about risks” in Progress in Resource Management and Environmental Planning Eds O'RiordanTTurnerK, volume 3 (John Wiley, Chichester, Sussex) pp 161–202
17.
FRC/DDC/KDC, 1977An Assessment of the Shell and Esso Proposals for Mossmorran and Braefoot BayFife Regional Council, Dunfermline District Council, Kirkcaldy District Council, Fife House, Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland
18.
GRC, 1979, “A suggested policy for the routeing of a natural gas liquids pipeline”Grampian Regional Council, Department of Physical Planning, Woodhill House, Aberdeen, Scotland
19.
GRC/BBDC, 1980Contigency Plan for Petrochemical IndustriesGrampian Regional Council, Banff and Buchan District Council, Council Offices, Aberdeen, Scotland
GregoryR, 1971The Price of Amenity (Macmillan, London)
22.
GriffithsR F, (Ed.), 1981Dealing with Risk (Manchester University Press, Manchester)
23.
Health and Safety Commission, 1976Advisory Committee on Major Hazards: First Report (HMSO, London)
24.
Health and Safety Commission, 1978, “Hazardous installations (notification and survey) regulations”Consultative Document (HMSO, London)
25.
Health and Safety Commission, 1979Advisory Committee on Major Hazards: Second Report (HMSO, London)
26.
Health and Safety Commission, 1982, “Notification of installations handling hazardous substances regulations” SI 1357 (HMSO, London)
27.
Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974Public General Acts chapter 37 (HMSO, London)
28.
HeapD, 1978An Outline of Planning Law (Sweet and Maxwell, London)
29.
House of Lords, 1981Select Committee on the European Communities. 11: With Minutes of Evidence. Environmental Assessment of Projects House of Lords Paper 69, Session 1980–81 (HMSO, London)
30.
HSE, 1978aCanvey: An Investigation of Potential Hazards from Operations in the Canvey Island/Thurrock AreaHealth and Safety Executive (HMSO, London)
31.
HSE, 1978bA Safety Evaluation of the Proposed St Fergus to Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids and St Fergus to Boddam Gas PipelinesHealth and Safety Executive (HMSO, London)
32.
HSE, 1979Report of a Working Group on Radio Ignition Hazards at St Fergus, Scotland (Health and Safety Executive, London)
33.
HSE, 1980A Reappraisal of the HSE Safety Evaluation of the Proposed St Fergus to Mossmorran NGL Pipeline (Health and Safety Executive, London)
34.
HSE, 1981Canvey: A Second Report. A Review of Potential Hazards from Operations in the Canvey Island/Thurrock Area Three Years after Publication of the Canvey ReportHealth and Safety Executive (HMSO, London)
35.
ICE, 1982, “The assessment of major hazards” Symposium Series 71, Institute of Chemical Engineers, 165–171 Railway Terrace, Rugby CV21 3HQ, England
36.
JonesCSandsR L, 1981Great Balls of Fire (Jones-Sands, Exhall Green, Coventry)
KnoxPCullenJ, 1981, “Planners as urban managers: An exploration of the attitudes and self-image of senior British planners”Environment and Planning A13885–898
39.
LowePGoyderJ, 1983Environmental Groups in Politics (George Allen and Unwin, Hemel Hempstead, Herts)
40.
MacgillS M, 1983, “Mossmorran-Braefoot: Aspects of a risk debate” in Progress in Resource Management and Environmental Planning Eds O'RiordanTTurnerK, volume 4 (John Wiley, Chichester, Sussex) pp 267–295
41.
MacgillS MSnowballD J, 1983, “What use risk assessment?”Applied Geography3171–192
42.
McReaMGreavesJ, 1981, “Nigg Bay petrochemical developments. A successful alternative to a public inquiry”Scottish Planning Law and Practice28–10, 19
43.
MillerCWoodC, 1983Planning and Pollution (Clarendon Press, Oxford)
44.
NelkinD, 1977Technological Decisions and Democracy (Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA)
45.
O'HareM, 1977, “Not on my block you don't: Facility siting and the strategic importance of compensation”Public Policy25409–458
46.
O'RiordanT, 1981, “Societal attitudes and energy risk assessment” in European Transitions from Oil-societal Impacts and Constraints on Energy Policy Eds GoodmanG TKristofersonL AHollanderJ, (Academic Press, London)
47.
PaddockK F, 1978, “Report by Pipelines Inspectorate on Shell/Esso proposals for an NGL pipeline”; copy available in mimeograph form from the Department of Energy, Thames House South, Millbank, London SW1, England
48.
PearceD W, 1981, “Risk assessment: Use and misuse”Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A376181–192
49.
Pipe-lines Act, 1962Public General Acts chapter 58 (HMSO, London)
50.
ReyndersL, 1982, “Societal interests” in Risk: A Seminar Series Ed. KunreutherH; CP-82–S6, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
51.
Robens, 1972Safety and Health at Work: Report of the Committee 1970–72 Chairman Lord Robens, Cmnd 5034 (HMSO, London)
52.
RosieG, 1977The Ludwig Initative (Mainstream, Edinburgh)
53.
Scottish Development Department, 1974Coastal Planning GuidelinesNew St Andrews House, St James Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
54.
Scottish Development Department, 1977a, “Inquiry into proposed NGL plant at Peterhead” Decision Letter, ref P/PP/2/GB/2/4, New St Andrews House, St James Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
55.
Scottish Development Department, 1977bNational Planning Guidelines for Petrochemical DevelopmentsNew St Andrews House, St James Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
56.
Scottish Development Department, 1977cReport of the Public Inquiry into the Shell/Esso Mossmorran/Braefoot Bay ProposalsNew St Andrews House, St James Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
57.
SieghartP, 1979The Big Public InquiryOuter Circle Policy Unit, 4 Cambridge Terrace, London NW1, England
ThomasKOtwayH J, 1980, “Public perceptions of energy system risks: Some policy implications” in Progress in Resource Planning and Environmental Management Eds O'RiordanTTurnerK, volume 2 (John Wiley, Chichester, Sussex) pp 109–132
60.
ThompsonM, 1981, “A cultural analysis of a risk debate” WP-81-17, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
61.
Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1972Public General Acts chapter 52 (HMSO, London)
62.
US General Accounting Office, 1978Liquefied Energy Gases Safety EMD-78-28, United States General Accounting Office, Washington, DC 20548, USA
63.
WoodCLaurenceM, 1981, “Can planners control major hazards?” report 65, Environmental Data Services Ltd, Finsbury Business Centre, 40 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R ONE, England
64.
WynneB, 1983, “Public perception of risk” paper presented to the Urban Transport of Irradiated Fuel Conference, London, April; copy available from the Department of Liberal Studies, University of Lancaster, Bailrigg, Lancaster LAI 4YW, England
