ESG has received concerns once again from the public about the widespread and extensive release of highly impacting fireworks at New Years Eve.

People in estates, especially, are most affected with noise amplification within patio areas, as well as associated prolonged bouts of smoke filled air. The elderly, the young and pets always suffer, and it is a real shame that in a small community such as ours, a fairer solution isn’t found to suit all.

 The law, as it stands, actually forbids the wanton use and release of fireworks in public places, but this is not being applied and infringements of the law are actually being condoned.

The ESG calls on the authorities, who it recognises as having taken some steps to reduce the spread of illegal fireworks, to now control where the public can release these for their own enjoyment.

Regrettably, the alternative, which is full compliance with the law, and a complete ban on street fireworks, is not being endorsed by the authorities, from the responses we have had recently.

Nevertheless, estate bans should be in place and carefully supervised public areas set up for regulated use.

The group does not want to stop people from enjoying New Years, but rather, to enable more people to celebrate this special time in relative peace and comfort.

Keywords:  Brexit, Port impacts, CEPSA pollution?, New Power Station and BAT, DPC and Litter Committee

This week has seen some interesting environmental developments, which we shall go into briefly here.

Firstly, just to say that we continue to follow European and American developments defining policy changes which could impact the environment. We should be having a second meeting soon with the Ministry for the Environment and GONHS on Brexit implications, which we are working on behind the scenes and with our cross border colleagues too.

In our last broadcast we mentioned we were in discussions with the Port about air pollution from shipping and we continue to monitor this very closely. We continue to call for a power connection facility to be in place to service all vessels berthed in our harbour to reduce quayside pollution by allowing them to shut down their engines while in port.

There have been concerns raised this week about what appears to be significant pollution at the CEPSA Refinery complex and associated industry. We all know these chemical industries pollute as a by-product of their activity. What we have been able to verify through our contacts, is that what we are seeing is the thermal contrast from these regular and hot emissions and a cold and wet atmosphere, thus creating a threatening looking landscape which has understandably raised alarm bells. It has to be said that Refinery Flaring is of particular concern to us and this has not been happening at present. A quick look online however will show Verdemar, Ecologistas en Acción posting recent episodes of flaring, which results in the burning off, of toxic chemicals, on a number of occasions in early November. We shall be holding a cross border meeting before the end of year to review all such issues, which affect bay communities and which shall be taken up in formal complaints in Brussels.

Now that equipment and infrastructure for the new Power Station has started to arrive we have once again taken up the question of BAT (best available technology) and emission control with GibElec and Govt calling for updates on the technologies proposed as per their commitment on this over a year ago. More on this soon.

DPC (the Development and Planning Commission) met this week and held a lengthy, close to 4hour session, on many different applications. There was unanimous refusal on the Camp Bay project, which we are pleased about believing that public lands should not be privatised. The Development Plan also stipulates that any development on public beaches must be sensitive and focus on leisure and tourism.

Make a note in your diary that the last DPC meeting of the year will take place on the 16^th of December.

Finally, The Litter Committee will also have an end of year meeting in December and we shall be submitting various reports on findings from our Gibraltar wide Clean up Campaign.

Thanks for listening and as usual, any more information can be found on our website at: esg-gib.net