The GSD opposition says it notes “with great interest” the report in today’s Gibraltar Chronicle expressing the concerns of the MoD regarding the LNG power station and aviation safety. The GSD says it is pleased that information “previously withheld” by Government from members of the DPC at the meeting to “rubber stamp” the power station Environmental Impact Assessment has now come into the public domain.

The party argues that it is of concern that the MoD has not yet accepted that the LNG power station will not affect the safety of flights at the airport and, in the worst case, “could cause closure of the airport, a catastrophic consequence to our economy and community.”

The Opposition says that the fact that Government cites the presence of diesel power plants and diesel shipping in the area, when the impact of LNG exhaust on aviation is known to be different from these, “highlights Government’s continued intention to mislead people on the issue.” The GSD says it had assumed that MoD concerns had been resolved months ago and the party says it is “stunned” to learn that not only is this not the case, but that the Government is proceeding ‘on risk’ that the outcome will be favourable.

The GSD says that, while the Government provides assurances that the outcomes will be acceptable and says it has engaged with the Military Aviation Authority (MAA), the MoD says “Given that the safety assessment is yet to be compiled…it is neither helpful nor appropriate to speculate on the subsequent outcome” – the Opposition says this clearly contradicts the position of Government.

A statement ended: “The GSD calls on Government to name its experts and those it has consulted in both the CAA and the MAA in order that their facts can be independently verified. The Government’s track record on transparency and honesty are appalling, they have already claimed to have safety report which did not exist and which the public is still waiting to see. Can anything that their anonymous spokesman says be taken on trust?”

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