In today’s edition we shall talk about current environmental issues as well as look ahead to World Earth Day on the 22nd April. It seems that we are never too far from witnessing or being affected by air or noise pollution. Certainly bunkering fumes seem to be on the rise with many reporting such problems this past week. On investigation there appears to have been a number of possible causes; the Refinery was seen to be belching noxious fumes during N.Westerlies, and closer to home, which is likely to affect us the most, rupturing aging pipe work at the Western Arm led to exposure of acrid diesel product that released fumes throughout the residential areas on the western flank of Gibraltar, causing a serious smell nuisance. While this was reported as having being repaired last Thursday, bunkering type fumes continue to pervade our airspace even these past few days. We continue to report these incidents and ask the public to also send in their reports to the relevant agencies: admin@environmental-agency.gi and gibunksupt@port.gov.gi. Plse also cc us at the esg@gibtelecom.net.

Another matter of growing interest now the hot weather is here is Western Beach and sewage pollution. Anyone visiting official websites on water monitoring know too well the disastrous levels of sewage entering our beach from la Linea right up until a few weeks ago. There was no mention of Western Beach being raised in the recent visit by the Gibraltar Govt to Brussels. We are following up the matter directly with the European Commission once again.

Back to the Refinery again- we were interested to read in a Spanish publication recently the fact that the new owners of the past three years, the Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund, has publicly stated it wants to completely overhaul and modernise the plant to bring it up to modern day stds. Wouldn’t that be great? Its clear from recently witnessed flaring that this clean up hasn’t yet started. We are now contacting the new owners to verify any truth in the public statement and also to ask when we can return with our bucket to take air samples. The bucket grabs a bagful, or lungful of air using EPA approved equipment. Sample is sent to an accredited laboratory in the US and analysed for chemical content. Will update on this important issue soon.

Now to Earth Day. This year we are launching an awareness and information campaign on this global environmental day to raise the profile of an issue which affects us all, both inside and outside the home and office – that of radiation exposure from mobile phone masts, cell phones, and general electronic equipment. Our intention is to “have a conversation, locally,” that is taking place throughout the world. How this equipment, as well as providing an ever more versatile service, is also exposing us and our families to unknown health risks from invisible and unknown levels of radiation. We shall use World Earth Day to launch the campaign in Gibraltar, where, today, there is a temporary moratorium on the setting up of new mobile phone masts. Let’s have the conversation. Press releases, Main Street stall and talks are planned. More information and dates released soon.

Thanks for listening- call 54960000 or email esg@gibtelecom.net for more information.