The ESG continues to campaign on critical issues relating to our health and environment. The group meets regularly with the Ministry of the Environment and other ministries as necessary, as well as with members of key industrial players in Gibraltar precisely to highlight serious concerns held by the ESG and its members.
Among key campaigns are:
• the need for the launch of a long overdue transparent epidemiological study;
• the publication of latest available cancer data;
• and the start and completion of the replacement power station that will close down three highly polluting plants. (Location Rosia Road X 2, and GibElec at Waterport).
Government made several statements to the House last week on these and other environmental issues and the ESG asks that full statements be made public to inform the community exactly what progress is being achieved in these important areas.
ESG remains concerned that no completion date was given for the new power station. It also questions the decision to invest over a million pounds in noise insulation which is still not completed on a building that will not be housing noisy generators for much longer. The ESG has called for urgent action to reduce the growing air pollution from the plant by installing stacks that will significantly reduce emissions and directly benefit the health of the people in the surrounding area.
Govt also gave the explanation for the higher than permissible levels of particulates in Gibraltar as “Sands from the Sahara”. The ESG states that if indeed this is the reason, full monitoring data to support this claim should be made public. The public is well aware of areas in Gibraltar which are heavily polluted, referred to as hotspots. Data from monitoring equipment in Gibraltar is simply confirming what the ESG has been concerned about for so long and requires action by the authorities.
The ESG has not accepted the Sahara to excuse the massive pollution in the Bay produced by the CEPSA Oil Refinery and associated industry and neither shall it accept this explanation for Gibraltar’s air quality.
