Seismic risks posed by injecting natural gas into the subsoil in Doñana National Park

Subject: Seismic risks posed by injecting natural gas into the subsoil in Doñana National Park

One of the most severe threats to the protected area and Natura 2000 network site Doñana is the Naturgy (formerly known as Gas Natural Fenosa) ‘Marismas’ project in which natural gas will be injected into the subsoil, turning it into hydrocarbon storage.

The environmental impact statement does not make the project’s effects clear (the statement was opportunistically and artificially subdivided into four, thus skirting round its overall impact, as the Commission has recognised in a number of communications), its invalidity and irregularity have already been proven and, what is more, the project’s seismic risks were also overlooked.

Given that, firstly, the current Environmental Impact Assessment Directive provides that seismic activity must be evaluated and, secondly, the accumulative impact of the project was never analysed:

1. Will the Commission, with the aim of acquiring a more accurate evaluation regarding the risk of injecting gas in Doñana, require a new assessment that includes the obligatory seismic risk analysis and accumulative impact?

2. Does the Commission believe that, in view of the uncertainty and risk to biodiversity and people and in application of the precautionary principle, Naturgy’s Marismas project should be stopped immediately? If so, will the Commission request that Naturgy put an end to the project?

Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the European Commission

(29 November 2019)

In light of the findings of an official investigation on the proposed gas storage facilities referred to by the Honourable Members, the Commission ascertained that the four projects at stake have been made subject to an assessment of their environmental impact and of their repercussions on Natura 2000 sites in compliance with the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (1) and Habitats (2) Directives.

Furthermore, the Commission verified that, while each project was individually assessed, the cumulative and synergic effects of the four projects were duly taken into account during the relevant assessment procedures; as were the risks of both natural and induced seismicity.

Moreover, the respective Environmental Impact Statements imposed the adoption of a number of preventive and corrective measures, including the establishment of a seismic monitoring network.

According to the conclusions drawn from the environmental assessments carried out by the Spanish authorities, no potentially adverse effect on the integrity of the Natura 2000 sites concerned could be identified from any of the projects, either individually or in combination with one another.

The Commission has not been presented with sufficient scientific evidence that could invalidate these conclusions. Therefore, in the absence of clear indication of a possible breach of EC law, the Commission cannot require further assessments or take measures to stop the implementation of the projects.

⋅1∙ Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on

the environment Text with EEA relevance — OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1‐21.

⋅2∙ Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora — OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7‐50.