Background:- The ESG today picked up copies of the permit and decision paper on the IPPC licence for OESCO power station as well as the second qualifying plant in Gibraltar, that of SLOP Oil.
In early September the group submitted concerns to the local environmental agency for forwarding to the UK agency for consideration regarding OESCO’s application under IPPC. The ESG outlined concerns about the health effects from air emissions from the power plant and is referred to on page 29, Annex 1, Consultee and Public responses of the Permit Decision document.
The group welcomes the publication of the response by the UK Environmental Agency believing this type of information is of great relevance and interest to our community.
It also cautiously welcomes the long overdue 6 month feasibility study for the possible installation of 30 to 40 m stacks at the OESCO plant to help disperse noxious emissions such as Nitrogen Dioxide away from residential areas. The ESG remain concerned however that the conclusion of this 6 month assessment (similar to the audit being carried out on the Refinery) may not yield practical results as it could be considered unreasonable to expect investment on a relatively grand scale in a plant whose closure is now within sight.
However, pollution from the plant in the immediate vicinity to the OESCO plant is confirmed at being above permissible levels in the permit documents.
The ESG recalls the same Minister for the Environment, Mr. Britto, promising long-suffering residents from Gib V and the South District that noise insulation works on the power stations would be carried out without delay. This was in 2003 and in response to a petition co-ordinated by the ESG and run by residents of both areas. Here we are in 2007 being told that a tender has just gone out for noise insulation works on OESCO. The ESG sincerely hopes that another 4 years do not have to pass for results of a feasibility study into stacks to yield any action and that some mitigating measures will be taken on the offending plant without further delay.
