Greenpeace opposes Costa del Sol gas works

Plans to extract natural gas from parts of the Costa del Sol in Spain have been attacked by Greenpeace, which believes the project will have an adverse impact on the water quality in the area.

Leader of the Spanish branch of the organisation Sara Pizzinato is fearful that the Mijas scheme could lead to spills, pollution and even fires.

The area in question is said to be the home of more than 1,000 marine species and 400 varieties of plant, which could all be affected if the proposals are followed through, Greenpeace has suggested.

Turtles and tuna will be placed in particular danger and the gas platforms could have an adverse impact on the tourism and fishing trades that are so important to the economy in this part of the world.

Last month, the European Environment Agency announced it would publish water quality and wastewater maps online, which would show the parts of the continent that are most blighted by pollution.

Posted by Joseph Hutton