European Parliament calls for Rock cancer cause probe

3.20.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 29th Apr 2010

Compania Espanola De Petroleos (CEPSA Oil Refinery)

Gibraltar's Liberal Democrat MEP Graham Watson has welcomed a European Parliamentary recommendation that the British authorities conduct thorough scientific research into the high incidence of cancer on the Rock which may be linked to industrial air pollution from the CEPSA Oil Refinery.

"We need a full scientific analysis. Air pollution remains a real problem on the Rock, and it is very concerning there are pockets where high levels of cancer are prevalent. The two may be linked and we need to thoroughly investigate if this is the case."

Following a Petition with 237 signatories presented to the European Parliament, the Parliaments Petitions Committee this week called on the UK and Spanish Governments to conduct scientific studies into the high prevalence of cancer in the region.

Air pollution on the Rock has been a concern for many years, and Graham has been working with constituents concerned about it. Concerns have been raised over pollution from the Compania Espanola De Petroleos (CEPSA Oil Refinery), across the border in San Roque, with data from the European Pollutant Emission Register showing the CEPSA refinery is one of the dirtiest in Europe.

Graham has been pressing the Commission and Spanish authorities as the refinery was required to produce and publish a pollution audit under EU law which was to be made publicly available. Neither had occurred until the European Commission was forced to intervene.

"It is very frustrating that it has taken so long for the Refinery to comply with its rather simple European obligations. Transparency is essential if we are to address concerns over the pollution sites like this generate. Citizens have a right to know what is happening on their doorsteps. EU rules rightly require this, and it's disappointing it has taken so long for the Spanish to publish audits."

Notes

Data made available under the European Pollutant Emission Register shows the CEPSA refinery is one of the dirtiest in Europe. In 2004 it was the single largest source of benzene emissions in Spain, at 43 tonnes per year. I understand an independent air quality sampling programme has shown that emissions regularly exceed legal limits. For example, benzene in the vicinity of the CEPSA refinery has been measured at 110 micrograms/m3, which is 22 times higher than the limit prescribed by the EU Directive 2000/69 (5 micrograms/m3) per tonne of oil refined. The CEPSA Gibraltar refinery produces 10 times more benzene than TOTAL's Grandpuits refinery in France, or 19 times more benzene than TOTAL's Vlissingen refinery in the Netherlands.

The IPPC Directive (Directive 1996/62EC as amended by Directive 2008/1/EC) means industrial polluters such as CESPA must obtain from national authorities an environmental permit which may contain conditions including emission limits based on the best available techniques. Directive 2008/1/EC requires national authorities to make publicly available the mandatory pollution audits into industrial sites.