typicallyspanish.com

Spain News : Andalucía : Costa de la Luz
+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font
European Commission opens an investigation into the activities of petrol tankers in the Strait of Gibraltar
By h.b. - Mar 24, 2008 - 3:30 PM
ALSO SEE : • New Flame wreck now being removed from the waters off Gibraltar - Jul 8, 2008 - 7:09 PM
• European Parliament asks for more information from Gibraltar on the New Flame - Apr 25, 2008 - 7:35 PM

The little that is left above the surface of the Strait of the cargo vessel 'New Flame' - Archive Photo EFE
enlarge photo

It follows a request to do so presented by the ecologist group Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción
The European Commission is to open an investigation into the allegedly uncontrolled activities of the so-called floating petrol stations in the Strait of Gibraltar. The EC will decide whether any penal action is needed.

The news was given by Antonio Muñoz from Verdemar-Ecologistas en Accion, who said that he had been notified of the investigation by letter last Friday. It comes after his organisation had called on Brussels to investigate the matter, claiming that there was not adequate monitoring in the Strait, nor an efficient system of fines which would persuade the petrol companies to stop putting marine life and people’s health in danger. Verdemar has estimated that nearly seven million tons of oil is transferred between tankers in the Gibraltar Bay.

The recent case of the New Flame, the scrap metal boat which remains half sunk off Gibraltar after colliding with a tanker last August, has highlighted the dangers to the environment in the bay. Reports indicate the vessel has a cargo of 44,000 used exhaust pipes, car batteries and other toxic products on board, with pollution from the ship reaching beaches in Algeciras.

An earlier investigation into the practice of ‘bunkering’ moving petrol from one tanker to another while at sea, took place in the Strait in 2006 when two Scottish MPs made a complaint, and that merely resulted in some observations coming from Brussels a year later that such operations should always be carried out with attention being made to the environment.


 smartphone/pda/iphone |  email this article |  printer friendly page

 del.icio.us |  digg |  technorati |  yahoo | Stumble It!
Facebook | Reddit | Newsvine | Meneame | Wikio | Blink

ALSO SEE :
• New Flame wreck now being removed from the waters off Gibraltar - Jul 8, 2008 - 7:09 PM
• European Parliament asks for more information from Gibraltar on the New Flame - Apr 25, 2008 - 7:35 PM
• European Commission investigating the New Flame sinking and salvage - Apr 22, 2008 - 7:39 AM
• New Flame scrap is not radioactive - Apr 8, 2008 - 5:52 PM
• The Guardia Civil opens an investigation into the cargo from the New Flame - Apr 5, 2008 - 3:55 PM
• Gibraltar Government to stop releasing statements on the New Flame - Apr 3, 2008 - 6:57 PM
• Cádiz court opens informative investigation into New Flame case - Mar 30, 2008 - 8:19 PM
• Cádiz ecologists want explanation of New Flame recovery strategy - Mar 11, 2008 - 11:06 AM
• Spain again asks the UK for explanations on Gibraltar recovery of New Flame cargo ship - Mar 5, 2008 - 2:35 PM
• Greenpeace add banner to the New Flame boat in the Strait of Gibraltar - Feb 21, 2008 - 12:41 PM