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  • ESG Radio Broadcast 20th June 2013


    earth-day3

    Lots to discuss locally on the environmental front. With Litter leaflets, Environmental Action Plan, Flotel reclamation and more we shall struggle today to keep our edition within time limits. Here goes:

    Some of you may already have seen the Litter leaflets going round Gibraltar at present and for the rest of June with the help of AquaGib who are keen to support Governments’ current greening up efforts. 17,000 leaflets will have been sent during the month of June. Everyone should get a copy delivered personally unless you get your bills online in which case you will see the leaflet appear on June’s account. If you would like an electronic copy of this plse email us at: esg@gibtelecom.net and we shall be very happy to send you one. Please feel free to share widely- let’s encourage everyone to make use of the right facilities for the right kind of waste and help clean up Gibraltar! Linked as this is to one of our Clean up the World objectives a reminder that this year’s clean up falls on Saturday 21st September.

    Regarding the recent re-launch of the revised EAMP (Environmental Action and Management Plan) by GoG, we welcome its publication having publicly called for this to happen for some time now. We were consulted along with other parties and many of our recommendations have been applied within the plan. There are a few issues however that remain pending and we shall be issuing a fuller statement shortly that will also be posted on our website discussing the merits and shortcomings of the plan in more detail.

    The Flotel is in Gibraltar; well its sitting in the DryDock at present looking like it needs a lot of work done to it. The ESG is very pleased to see that the GoG has taken heed of the concerns expressed by many in the community, as well as the ESG’s own objections to the original plans which involved the reclamation of an important water feature at Ocean Village.
    While detailed plans have yet to emerge on how this will be preserved for the continued enjoyment of the local community, as well as implementing the intention to improve water quality, we are glad that the initial statement by Government shows they have taken concerns on board.

    Listeners may remember a series of heavy fumes at the CEPSA Oil Refinery towards the end of May. Well, we did contact the company and address our enquiry to them hoping to have heard back by now as to the cause of the incident which spanned a few days. We also questioned the total lack of information that was made available to frontline residents and the rest of the Campo area including Gibraltar, who were all very alarmed about the excessive and unusual smoke emissions. We shall publish a reply once this has been received.

    Some of our members have expressed concerns to us over the rubble mountain at Eastside and the intense activity with earth moving machinery on site for some time now. We have made enquiries to Government and are in the process of receiving detailed information as to the level of monitoring and standards of safety which we are assured are being applied.

    Contact us if you wish to take part in Septembers CUTW –if you want more information on anything you have heard today – call us on 200-48996 or 54960000, email esg@gibtelecom.net. Thanks for listening.



    LITTER LEAFLET around the Rock


    June will see every household and business in Gibraltar receive a leaflet produced by the ESG in collaboration with the Litter Committee, distributed by AquaGib and supported by the Ministry for the Environment.As a long-term Clean up the World initiative we are delighted to see this take place and thank everyone who has helped make this happen. A Gibraltar wide distribution of a “Litter Leaflet” with information on where to correctly dispose of your special waste is currently taking place with the help of AquaGib. June’s electricity and water bills will also contain very useful and practical information on what to do with your rubbish.

    “This has been a long-term aim of ours, something we have called for since we first carried out Clean up the World locally,” says Janet Howitt of the ESG. The group has listed this information in the local telephone directory but believes that by every single person in Gibraltar physically receiving a copy of the leaflet will increase the number of people using the facilities more efficiently. As well as providing names and addresses of waste facilities, the leaflet carries opening hours and types of waste. It is hoped that fly tipping and careless dumping and littering will also be reduced with this latest measure”.

    View the LITTER COMMITTEE LEAFLET.

    Read following links for coverage of Litter leaflet newshttp://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=29742
    http://vox.gi/local/7437-litter-leaflet-knowledge-can-affect-change.html
    http://www.gbc.gi/news/news-details.php?id=1906
    http://www.panorama.gi/

    Take note: Clean up the World 2013 on 21st September

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    ESG welcomes GOG rethink on OV reclamation June 19th 2013


    OV reclamation area

    The ESG is very pleased to see that the GoG has taken heed of the concerns expressed by many in the community, as well as the ESG’s own objections to the original plans regarding the Flotel, which involved the reclamation of an important water feature at Ocean Village.
    While detailed plans have yet to emerge on how this will be preserved for the continued enjoyment of the local community, as well as implementing the intention to improve water quality, we are glad that the initial statement by Government shows they have taken concerns on board.



    ESG’s Radio Newsletter June 2013


    o Well, we now have the publication of the Fishing Report. From an environmental point of view it is unsurprising that the experts require more time and more data before recommending any new regulations be put in place. The marine environment knows no borders and this will not be an easy task to perform. Full transparency and access to information will hopefully influence public opinion and subsequent policy implementation

    o Looking around the Bay – and relevant to the region is an annual report just released by a Spanish NGO awarding black flags to 16 locations with dangerous environmental practices in the Cadiz region. You can find more details at 20minutos.es and search for banderas negras. Issues such as industrial chemical discharge and air pollution from nearby, petrochemical installations, to major urbanisation works planned in protected areas such as Valdevaqueros and the entire Tarifa area have earned this award. Bunkering practices in the Alboran Sea, another protected EU area, is also highlighted among several others. Occurring as these are within a desperately failing economy means that environmental monitoring and controls will be much harder to implement. We welcome the efforts by the NGO to nevertheless promote awareness of these serious issues

    o Closer to home and Gibraltar sees another energised celebration of World Environment Day where the children tell the rest of us how we should be looking after our planet. This event has gone from strength to strength –well done to all involved! We hope the long anticipated publication of Gibraltar’s own Environmental Action and Management Plan will also see the light of day with our own plan to tackle our environmental issues and impacts

    o Concerns have been raised about the mounting piles of household waste at the Public Waste site. We understand this was linked to paperwork issues which are now resolved and normal operations will resume

    o Moving on to the next Development and Planning Commission meeting in Gibraltar –taking place next Friday, 14th at 9.00am at the John Mackintosh Hall. Agenda should be posted on the Town Planning website as from tomorrow

    o The Flotel is another current issue with concerns about reclamation for a car park area. We are hopeful that while significant works are ongoing at the Ocean Village site that the authorities achieve a rethink of existing plans of reclamation and preserve the water feature – and that this will be announced soon.

    o We would like to remind listeners to be careful about using Western Beach. Visit environmental-agency.gi for monitoring data that will confirm the safety of the water quality for bathing for you and your family. Up until a few days ago, the EA was still picking up sewage contamination in the waters at Western. Even in previous years the waters have usually cleaned up by April, not so this time and so diligence is called for. If the samples continue to register pollution it is our view that Government should close the beach

    o Remember to watch Channel 5, on the 11th June at 9pm local time for the first of a series of programmes on Gibraltar, and when CUTW day 2012 will feature! See esg-gib.net for more info
    Thanks for listening!



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