Jun 12 - GSD Calls On Government To Publish LNG Safety Reports
The GSD says it notes what it calls the “extraordinary and baseless allegation” made by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo that “the GSD have simply sold themselves corruptly to the commercial interests”. The Opposition says that this is “another blatant attempt to divert attention from the real issue, which is that the Government is placing large parts of Gibraltar and its population at risk by ploughing ahead with an LNG project that according to Lloyd's Register ‘presents high risks, some significantly greater than those found to be acceptable for conventional LNG marine storage terminals’.”
The GSD says that to continue suggesting that there is no risk is simply to lie to the people of Gibraltar. The GSD now challenges the Government to immediately publish any report which justifies that statement by the Chief Minister. The reality is, says the party, that four years after they got elected and decided to scrap the Lathbury power station project at a cost to the taxpayer of £5 million, the Government has no safety report in its possession justifying the statement that an LNG bunkering operation and power station so close to densely populated areas, businesses and a cruise liner terminal is safe. Unfortunately, says the GSD, Mr Picardo “thinks that people have the memories of goldfish and he forgets that the Government has already said publicly that three separate sets of experts are providing reports to the commercial entities bidding to build and run the proposed LNG bunkering installations. Those reports are not yet in their possession. So Mr Picardo cannot say these plans are safe.”
Daniel Feetham, the Leader of the Opposition, said: “Anyone watching GBC yesterday or reading the press today would have seen the political imagery of an Opposition appearing as a Government in waiting and doing what the Government should have done over a year ago, and the Government acting like a very poor Opposition. Unless Mr Picardo questions the integrity and independence of Lloyd’s Register, the bottom line is that this project poses an unacceptable high risk to the community. At the next election people will have a clear choice. The GSD, if elected to Government, will not build this power station and LNG bunkering installation.”
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