Key words:  New Year new issues/ CUTW outreach work/ Pollution Hotspots / elections & the environment / citizen reports and controls / CEPSA Refinery /  Hassan’s Centenary / Next DPC mtg

The New Year is bringing up many environmental issues and it is positive to recognise that in broad terms there is far more awareness about the problems behind certain issues and also where the community can help with direct action in others.

As is the norm for us we start the year with several talks and certificate presentations to the many educational establishments that participated in the Gibraltar wide clean up. This gives us a welcome opportunity of discussing issues, pinpointing underlying problems and identifying solutions.   With election year now in sight and the added complication of Brexit, this also provides fertile ground for constructive and important debate about all the issues we follow particularly on how the environment will feature in these dynamic and worrying times.

More debate needed!

Locally we have many discussions with members and the public alike on pollution hotspots on the Rock and within the Bay as well as the heavy toll from multiple developments and associated construction vehicles, which add to an already very busy traffic situation in Gibraltar. We hope to meet with the Minister for Transport soon to highlight our concerns.

We start the year with energy also and we will be publishing our environmental lobbying document for use in this important election period. We are planning to hold awareness days to be able to discuss our concerns and interests directly with the community. Dates to be announced soon.

The ESG continues to receive steady complaints from residents in the south district in particular pointing to chronic pollution situations that demand solutions. We are in active discussion with many parties at present in the hope that solutions will be found and a better environment will prevail. It is vital that industry applies best technology and standards and that regulators apply strict controls. Only in this fashion can true progress be achieved.

We recently also publicly welcomed progress made at the LNG Power Plant given the improvements this will create on some of the current pollution sources once plant is fully operational. Please visit our website for more information on these issues – that’s esg-gib.net.

If we briefly revisit the CEPSA Oil Refinery, a long-term and major regional issue of ours, we confirm that the last 7 days have seen heavy flaring, sulphurous emissions staining the skies, and nauseating smells brought across by northerly winds. We are mindful of the additional challenge we face of taking this dangerous industry to task with the loss of the EU membership but it is still in our sights and we thank and welcome all reports and material received from members of the public which we shall put to good use.

Also coming up soon will be a dedicated DPC meeting for the Hassan’s Centenary application on the eastern side of the Rock-taking place at 2.30pm on the 11^th February. The ESG is concerned about the landscape impacts from the location of these buildings as well as their excessive height and is presenting its concerns as we speak.

Thanks for listening you can also email us for more info at esg@gibtelecom.net

The ESG welcomes the news that the LNG project for power supply has taken the crucial step of producing and feeding energy into the grid.

The group is closely following air and noise pollution issues in both the South and North districts and know there will be environmental gains in certain areas once the new Power Station is up and running, for example, in the reduction and elimination of pollution achieved by the decommissioning of all skid generators and an ageing GibElec Power Station.

The ESG calls upon Government to provide a clear timeline to the community for when the new Power Station will be fully operational.

The ESG is concerned to have received repeated reports over the festive period of excessive noise pollution coming from the dockyard area.

This chronic noise pollution continues on today. The group understands that this could be coming from the Skid Generators on site either helping supply shore power to vessels or meeting Gibraltar energy demands. These generators are currently blocked in by a large vessel at quayside causing amplification of noise produced and has led to the current problem.

The group urges all concerned, GibDock, GibElec and the Environmental Agency to urgently review the situation and arrive at a lasting solution that will deliver reprieve for residents who are currently facing sleepless nights.