Walter Finch
THE sinister cloud of orange gas that the Acerinox steelworks belched out over the Bay of Gibraltar last week is something that’s ‘suspiciously frequent’, insiders claims.
A denuncia filed to the Junta de Andalucia claims the plant’s system for filtrating the noxious fumes created by the smelting process is malfunctioning.
But sources connected to the plant told the Olive Press that the release, likely due to a build-up of highly dangerous nitric acid fluoride in a storage tank, was part of a pattern.
“Everyone who works remains silent for fear of losing their jobs,” a former employee told this newspaper.
“More than half the population of the surrounding areas work there or have a family member working for them directly or indirectly and they fear for their jobs.”
Other residents have told the Olive Press the plant is ‘more polluting than ever’ amid claims the Spanish authorities turn a blind eye ‘out of fear scaring away the jobs’.
People in the neighbouring towns of Palmones and Guadarranque claim the previous Saturday’s discharge was just the latest in the Bay, home to hundreds of thousands of people – including 40,000 in Gibraltar – that has been going on for decades.
Local resident Paco Cervantes, 66, told the Olive Press that he lost his father and mother-in-law to cancer, and more recently a neighbour.
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The retired port worker, who lives in Guadarranque, added: “The Campo de Gibraltar has the highest levels of cancer, bronchitis and asthma in all of Spain – we are top of the cancer list.
“Here people die of cancer. But it’s difficult to draw a direct connection between the heavy industry and the cancer rate, which is why there has to be a study. But the authorities refuse to do it.”
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The heavy industry plant operates an ‘open air dump of slag and metal particulates which knowingly pollutes the air and, depending on which way the wind is blowing, causes havoc with nearby residents’, according to local environmental groups.
The Acerinox steelworks is part of a sprawling heavy industry zone that occupies a corner of the picturesque Bay of Gibraltar, along with the Cepsa petrol refinery and a coal-fired Endesa power plant.
The three plants employ a total of over 3,000 workers directly, and are responsible for well over 10,000 indirect jobs in a region that has traditionally struggled with high unemployment.
However, the jobs have come at a cost in the form of a shocking environmental record that even includes a 2008 radioactive leak.
Cervantes accused the authorities in Spain of being complicit by refusing to enforce regulations or carry out appropriate inspections on Acerinox.
“They haven’t been complying with either Spanish or European environmental directives for many years,” the local resident continued.
He continued: “The Acerinox plant, which was built in the 70s, hasn’t been modernised in years and they refuse to invest to upgrade their processes. The controls they’ve put in place have been zero.”
Despite repeated denuncias, both the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office in the Campo de Gibraltar and the Junta’s environmental delegate in Cadiz have either refused to take action or dismissed the complaints.
“There is not a single governing body investigating what has been happening at Acerinox,” Cervantes said.
He too believes that the authorities turn a blind eye to repeated violations because they are terrified of Acerinox moving the plant, leaving the struggling Campo de Gibraltar with ‘thousands of unemployed’.
“The politicians support the petro-chemical industry, there’s always some politico willing to stand by it,” he added, pointing to the appearance of Pedro Sanchez at the Cepsa plant in December 2022.
Meanwhile, local action group Verdemar Ecologistas en Accion claims air quality measurements are ‘turned off at night’ – when the majority of the noxious gases are released.
It adds that Acerinox fails to comply with dangerous substance regulations, does not undergo regular inspections and knowingly keeps dangerous particles in an open-air dump.
One resident in Palmones told the Olive Press: “Pollution has always been a problem, for as long as I can remember, but many are unwilling to say it as most of the town works in the plant.
“There’s dust and particles in the air, which I find on my windowsills and in the summer when I’m sweeping the floor.”
Another local, Javier Martin Delgado, 60, told the Olive Press: “This is the area with one of the highest rates of throat cancer in Spain. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a child born with an antenna sticking out of his head.”
Javier’s brother, Fernando, 56, added: “We see black smoke from the Cepsa plant all the time, if anything it’s getting worse.
“Go to Punta Mayorga [on the other side of the industrial zone] and take a deep breath. You’ll know what we’re talking about.”
“The Bay of Gibraltar should be the nicest part of Spain, look how beautiful it is here,” Fernando continued, pointing to the beach and the river surrounded by mountains.
“House prices should be through the roof – but people can’t sell their homes and get out fast enough. It’s such a shame.”
La Linea real estate agent Mas Q Menos confirmed it: “The region has always been ‘mistreated’ by the heavy industry and, because of the Acerinox gases issue, perhaps they have lowered the prices a little more.”
Acerinox did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
There must be a State authority which is responsible for monitoring emissions like these reported?
Scandalous that nothing has been done.