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Project protects nesting oyster catchers
Project planners at our Fife Ethylene Plant considered many different scenarios in the run up to the current £140m upgrade – but discovering a protected bird’s nest wasn’t one of them!
The nest, containing three eggs, belongs to an oyster catcher, and the eggs are protected by law. Upon finding the nest on the fringes of the site, a bird-loving contractor working for Bilfinger immediately put up a cordon and sign that required workers to stay away from the area. He sought advice from environmental advisors on site, who confirmed that it belonged to an oyster catcher and that their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. And his quick thinking means that the nest will not be disturbed until after the baby birds have flown.
Contact Engineer Michael Ridgewell, who was with the contractor at the time, said: “This was a great spot by our colleague who acted quickly to ensure the safety of the nest and eggs. “It is not uncommon that birds choose to make their nests on our towers and land, and the barriers will be kept in place until the hatchlings have left the nest. “We have seen all sorts of wildlife here from hares and foxes to birds of prey and it’s nice to see the number of animals that have made our site their home.”
See FEP investment in safe hands from the April issue of Newsline.
Also in this issue
Travis takes the helm as RRT Coordinator
Travis Hansen, regional EP&R adviser has been appointed to lead the Regional Response Team (RRT) following the retirement of Mark Wentworth (see Newsline April 2021). “I’ve been involved with the RRT since 2013 and when Mark retired, I felt I could do something to build on the amazing job he’s done and bring my own energies to the role,” he says.
Fawley helps in COVID-19 fight
As the battle against COVID-19 continues, ExxonMobil Fawley has become a key player in the global vaccine supply chain. The site’s Chemicals units are responsible for supplying a range of products including halobutyl rubber, a component of the vaccine vials.
PIGs in the pipeline at FEP
This is not your usual PIG – this is a Pipeline Inspection Gauge, a specialist robot that checks and cleans oil and gas pipelines from the inside to keep them running safely, using a process known as ‘pigging’. As part of the £140m plant investment programme now underway at our Fife Ethylene Plant, we are pigging the 7km of pipes that link the plant to our Braefoot Bay Marine Terminal on the Forth.
Helping Hampshire’s Search & Rescue Heroes
Hampshire Search and Rescue is one of the latest voluntary organisations to receive a donation from the ExxonMobil VIP scheme. £500 was awarded to the charity, which works alongside Hampshire police in searching for vulnerable high risk missing persons in the county. The team has been called out 30 times so far this year and the donation will go towards new lifejackets for river bank searching.
Remediation works are set to begin at Bowling
Preparation and construction works are due to start this month (May) at a significant former industrial site in Bowling near Glasgow after a year-long delay due to COVID-19. As part of the land sale agreement, ExxonMobil will remediate the site, which was previously home to an Esso oil terminal. The land is now part of the Glasgow City Region Deal project and will be transformed by the buyer into a major industrial and commercial development and bypass.
