Gas guzzlers to face national park probe

THE Spanish government and Junta de Andalucia have pledged to investigate plans by Naturgy – formerly Gas Natural Fenosa – to extract gas near Doñana National Park.

Jose Fiscal, environment and planning minister for the southern region, said in his opinion “the only solution is to wave a final goodbye to the project.”

It comes after Andalucian Parliament earlier this summer approved a motion by left-wing populist party Podemos urging the national government to “immediately paralyse” the scheme.

The conservative Partido Popular and centre-right Ciudadanos abstained from voting on the proposal, but the new socialist administration led by Pedro Sanchez has promised to form a commission ahead of an official probe.

And in September European parliamentary officials will visit the park, which straddles Cadiz, Huela and Sevilla provinces, to assess the risk posed by the controversial activity.