Case against Coll d´en Rebassa gas pipe taken to Europe

THE local Green party has gone to Europe in an effort to stop a gas pipe running through Coll d'en Rebassa, on the grounds of safety.
It has taken its case to the European Commission, claiming that the project does not have a report on security, and therefore fails to comply with the European directive on the control of risks inherent in serious accidents involving dangerous substances. Deputy Margalida Roselló (a former Balearic environment minister) and David Hammerstein, a Euro deputy for the Greens have presented a written question to environment commissioner Stavros Dimas, asking what measures the Commission plans to take to ensure safety in the area. Hammerstein points out that a hospital, two schools, a library, sports area, yacht club and houses are all within the 500 metre security perimeter of the gas pipe as the plan now stands. “The fact that all these constructions are within this 500 metre radius implies the lethal reach of thermal radiation if a fireball or a jet fire should be generated,” the deputies point out. They also stress that the last cut off valve in the case of an incident is 145 kilometres away in Ibiza, and the pipe holds approximately 200'000 cubic metres of gas, which would be released on Coll d'en Rabassa, its reach being affected according to the wind.” Coll d'en Rabassa residents have been campaigning against the pipeline, due to emerge from the sea near Es Carnatge, for some time.
They claim that, apart from being dangerous, it also adds to the pollution they have to contend with from the obsolete power station and the airport.