The ESG welcomes yesterday’s news of the proposed Vapour Recovery Technology improvements at the San Roque CEPSA plant. However, it nevertheless wishes to highlight the inadvertent admission by the company of the longstanding presence of high levels of emissions and fugitive fumes that are escaping into the common airspace and wider environment. Such levels were proven when the Bay Bucket Brigade obtained alarming sample results outside the Refinery fenceline revealing a highly dangerous cocktail of 15 toxic chemicals one of which was benzene, a known carcinogen.

The group also understands that the independent audit into CEPSA’s performance and emissions commissioned by La Junta last summer has now been finalised and is being reviewed by el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), who will soon be making a public statement.

The ESG will continue to monitor the situation very closely and advises that a full technical report on the Refinery produced by Denny Larson (technical adviser to the ESG and Bay Bucket Brigade) and commissioned by MEP Neil Parish, is available on its website : esg-gib.net.