ESG Press Release
Sewage threat on the rise?
6th June 2012

With bathing season upon us, and the community heading for the beaches it is important to remain vigilant and aware of the continued actual and potential threat of the sewage pollution affecting the northern beaches of Gibraltar from La Linea town.

If one checks the Environmental Agency website today it appears that Western Beach could be safe for bathing. However, a word of warning that the sewage is now being displaced towards eastern side beaches rendering the ONLY two beaches in the whole of Andalucía to be out of action for bathing purposes. These beaches are located immediately to the north of Eastern Beach and the ESG is calling upon Govt to increase sampling as a matter of urgency to verify water quality closer to the airport runway. Marine and ambient environments do not recognise frontiers.

It is also reasonable to think that the displaced sewage could return to Western Beach at any given moment if pressure to open east side beaches grows, or if sudden rainfall were to occur. Therefore Western Beach should, in the groups view, remain closed until such time as La Linea has addressed the existing and very real problems she has in this regard, fully explained in the links included in this statement.

Just this weekend Spanish press carried two articles which show an increasingly deteriorating situation, and one, that we, in Gibraltar, need to take heed of if we are to afford maximum public health protection (see links below).

Last week the ESG received updates from both the EC and Sir Graham Watson on their efforts to secure some kind of resolution from the Spanish authorities to this problem. Now two years on and counting the ESG affirms it will continue to lobby as much as it can on this issue until this is resolved.

• For current Gibraltar beach data visit:
http://www.environmental-agency.gi/environmental_monitoring.htm

• See latest articles in Spanish press on this issue:
http://www.europasur.es/article/lalinea/1274606/los/vertidos/y/escapes/fecales/son/problema/endemico/la/linea.html

http://www.europasur.es/article/lalinea/1274605/la/orografiacutea/la/antiguumledad/la/red/y/las/injerencias/causas/problema.html