Open letter to Engen and Sapref

EDITOR – Although both refineries boast of their community involvement, it would seem that that is a one-way street.

Following the drastic increase in fuel truck traffic on Tara Road, I emailed both refineries objecting to this and seeking an explanation. To date no response has been forthcoming nor has there been any to subsequent emails. On Wednesday, 13 November, Ivor Aylward and myself traveled to both refineries in an attempt to have meetings with their respective public relations officers. We felt that was necessary as phone calls got no further than their switch boards.

At Engen we were told that unless we had an appointment, we could not enter. Trying to make an appointment proved an odyssey. The switch board receptionist is either inaudible or unintelligible and when she routes a call, it cuts off after five rings. So how does one make an appointment?

Phoning Sapref, is equally futile. Yet when Margaret Rowe was the PR officer, calls were promptly and proficiently fielded along with emails.

From our experience, Sapref and Engen are inaccessible and have no PR capacity that enables members of the public to communicate with them. This is unacceptable given their extensive pipeline infrastructure that runs through the Bluff residential area.

DR DUNCAN DU BOIS

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