The Gibraltar-San Roque Refinery is an oil refinery owned by CEPSA located on the north shore of the Bay of Gibraltar, in Guadarranque Industrial Estate, between Puente Mayorga and the Guadarranque river, in the municipality of San Roque, Cadiz, Spain. |
The largest refinery in the Iberian Peninsula, with a crude oil daily processing capacity of 240,000 barrels per day, is a source of environmental and health issues regularly reported to the relevant European Union institutions.
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | The Gibraltar-San Roque refinery, Spain |
| Country: | Spain |
| State or province: | Cádiz |
| Location of conflict: | Puente Mayorga, San Roque (A-7 towards Algeciras, exit La Línea-Gibraltar (CA-34)) |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Fossil Fuels and Climate Justice/Energy |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Chemical industries Gas flaring Oil and gas refining Interbasin water transfers/transboundary water conflicts |
| Specific commodities: | Crude oil Natural Gas Chemical products |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | Complejo petroquímico con un núcleo principal constituido por la refinería de CEPSA, formada por: |
| Project area: | 150,00 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 216,000,000 / year |
| Type of population | Semi-urban |
| Affected Population: | 263,687 |
| Start of the conflict: | 01/01/1976 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Cepsa S.A.U from Spain Lubrisur from Spain FCC Construcción SA from Spain |
| Relevant government actors: | Ayuntamiento de San Roque; Junta de Andalucía; Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía Algeciras; Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo. |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción (son los que históricamente han tratado el asunto y mayor oposición ejercen) http://www.ecologistasenaccion.es/rubrique95.html Agaden (http://agadencampodegibraltar.blogspot.com.es/) Ecologistas en Acción, WWF, SEO-Birdlife, Mesa de la Ría de Huelva y San Roque Sí se Puede se oponen a la implantación de la nueva refinería iraní. Facebook: “Afectados de Puente Mayorga” y “Memoria de Guadarranque” (se pueden encontrar numerosos testimonios y fotografías de la zona). |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Local ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements Women Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Blockades Development of a network/collective action Involvement of national and international NGOs Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Fires, Food insecurity (crop damage), Genetic contamination, Global warming, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Waste overflow, Oil spills, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Accidents, Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide, Occupational disease and accidents, Deaths, Other environmental related diseases |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Militarization and increased police presence, Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Social problems (alcoholism, prostitution, etc..), Specific impacts on women, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
Outcome
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Migration/displacement |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | * Development of a regional and local sustainable energy policy, based on renewables. Campo de Gibraltar is an exceptional area for the development of solar and wind power at least. * Promote local farming and agriculture, giving it advantages and incentives compared to foreign farming. * Signing of agreements between owners and municipalities for the creation of orchards close to urban centers. * Organization of fairs, markets, advice, promotion of local products, affordable financing... for local producers and artisans. * Promotion and sustainable tourist exploitation of the Natural Park of Los Alcornocales and coast. * Restoration of the area and measures to favor present, lost and potentially threatened species. * Recovery of local fishing once the species are recovered and the area is decontaminated. * Recovery and promotion of the cultural, historical and landscape values of the area. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
| Briefly explain: | The plant still operates, and gets bigger and bigger year after year. Besides, new companies are investing in the area. The local Government does not consider to revert the situation. |
Sources & Materials
| Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc) |
| |||
| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
| |||
| Other comments: | El 21 de enero del 2003 se hunde la gabarra Spabunker IV con 1.029 toneladas de fuel en sus tanques y 345 de gasóleo en su depósito. Muere el capitán. La Colonia era una pedanía de pescadores de San Roque, habitada desde el siglo XVI. Al estar rodeada por la refinería soportaba unos niveles inaceptables de contaminación atmosférica, siendo muy comunes los casos de cáncer en su población. Fue desalojada en 2003, y se concedieron a sus vecinos nuevas viviendas en Puente Mayorga (en el lado opuesto del arroyo donde se encuentra la refinería). En 2011 VTTI comienza los trámites para la construcción de una planta con 21 tanques con capacidad para 380.000 metros cúbicos de productos. El proyecto se presentó como una alternativa al almacenamiento flotante y acabar con las gasolineras flotantes. En 2015 la empresa desiste ya que el ayuntamiento de San Roque reclama una modificación del trazado de las tuberías que cruzarían por parques públicos y zonas habitadas pudiendo perderse una playa que usan miles de vecinos, y de un posible realojo de más de 200 personas que viven en la barriada de Guadarranque. El Ministerio de Medio Ambiente aceptó la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, que no consideraba la rotura de las conducciones como un escenario posible. La empresa alega que la burocracia estaba siendo muy densa y dilatada en el tiempo por lo que entendían que era un no por motivos políticos. http://www.sanropolis.com/ruiz-boix-el-rechazo-al-proyecto-de-vtti-es-por-criterios-tecnicos-no-politicos/ http://www.sanroque.es/content/el-proyecto-de-vtti-pasa-por-medio-del-parque-de-la-madre-vieja http://www.europasur.es/article/maritimas/1959947/vtti/comunica/puerto/renuncia/la/planta/almacenaje/los/barrios.html Gibraltar está construyendo una nueva central térmica de ciclo combinado de gas natural para abastecer a la colonia. Entrará en funcionamiento en 2017. http://www.europasur.es/article/gibraltar/1919343/gibraltar/firma/contrato/la/central/electrica/por/millones.html http://www.energynews.es/gibraltar-pretende-construir-una-nueva-central-de-ciclo-combinado-en-el-penon/ Irán está gestionando la construcción de una nueva refinería en el Campo de Gibraltar, defendiendo el ministro en funciones de Asuntos Exteriores, José Manuel García-Margallo, que sea en Algeciras (consideran que las condiciones para exportar son mejores que en Huelva). Tendría una capacidad de 120.000 barriles diarios. https://www.elestrechodigital.com/destacado/ecologistas-insisten-en-su-oposicion-a-la-instalacion-de-una-refineria-en-algeciras/ Noticias http://estamossincentro.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/sobremortalidad-por-cancer-en-el-campo.html http://www.diariosur.es/v/20100429/andalucia/salud-desvincula-mortandad-cancer-20100429.html http://www.diariodesevilla.es/article/andalucia/976550/la/sociedad/influye/cancer/la/comarca/campo/gibraltar.html http://www.diariodesevilla.es/article/andalucia/976550/la/sociedad/influye/cancer/la/comarca/campo/gibraltar.html http://www.europasur.es/article/opinion/2091286/la/salud/la/comarca/y/gibraltar.html http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/272842/0/algeciras/salud/cancer/ http://www.elsanroqueno.com/articulo/sociedad/central-termica-barrios-causa-51-muertes-prematuras/20161019100923003506.html Recomendable: http://www.ivoox.com/verdemar-alerta-sobre-contaminacion-central-audios-mp3_rf_13402368_1.html Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e7YaYCbqLo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jer907LzzJE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBoEOBhUmlU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG5DMMhLffs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huw0a9TSWe4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2txE4Df2do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIMbRi00Hlo |
Meta information
| Contributor: | Héctor de Prado ([email protected]) and Luís González ([email protected]) from Amigos de la Tierra / Friends of the Earth |
| Last update | 02/02/2017 |
| Conflict ID: | 2599 |
Related conflicts
Comments