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Chemicals
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Hull Friends of the Earth Home Page
Weak position on spray-paint
Article courtesy of Panorama
Friends of the Earth, Gibraltar has adopted a weak position in defence of the public on recent concerns in Gibraltar about the environmental effects in the wider community caused by spray-painting at Cammell Laird.
The Group says it has been approached by local residents on this matter as well as by a local publication.
FoE further said that this is not a new phenomenon and sporadic instances of this sort of thing have been going on for years, as if this makes the contamination acceptable!
The effects have typically been noticed by people when mysterious paint droplets appear on parked cars following painting at the Yard.
"Residents are understandably concerned" said an FoE spokesman "not just because of the obvious cosmetic effects on vehicles but also because of other possible environmental dangers which may be less obvious. We are aware that this concern has existed for a number of years in Gibraltar and this latest incident is just one more example of the concern felt by many."
The Group's Co-ordinator Lyana Armstrong-Emery says that she has not yet managed to make contact with the Company over this specific instance. However, following previous such instances she and her associates spoke to both Cammell Laird and also with the Environmental Agency.
Both organisations confirmed that : a) They are aware that spray painting activities, like many others, do sometimes have undesirable side effects but these must be balanced by the positive effects on the economy and the community. There are many other examples (said CL and EA) in our Society. After all, motor vehicles for instance, produce Carbon-pollution but almost all people still want to use them.
b) The Company and the Agency are working together and with others to do everything possible to monitor and restrict the problem, including the use in recent years of non-lead paints and extra shielding and safer procedures at the Dock. This itself is difficult. This because
the facility was originally constructed to cater mostly for warships which usually have a narrower beam than commercial vessels. Another practical problem is that it is very difficult to measure accurately over time the actual levels of paint content in the local atmosphere.
This is due to many variable factors such as wind direction, humidity, the greater affinity of paint droplets for metallic rather than non-metallic surfaces and so on.
Following all this FoE believes that if Gibraltar wants a facility such as Cammell Laird, yet objects to paint pollution, then the community as a whole must clarify its concerns more closely. "Our society must work to solve the practical problems involved with monitoring and restricting harmful effects," is their nonsensical remark,
when the answer is not if Gib wants a yard or not, but that when contaminating substances are used , strict measures should be taken to avoid public nuisance.
What solution do they offer? read this: " FoE continues to offer its constructive support to all concerned to make the situation more "ecologically positive". In addition, the Group suggests an even more frequent programme of public information, press releases and liaison activities by all those concerned."
With friends like Friends of the Earth, who needs enemies?
Article dated
August 2006
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