The Environmental Agency provides all the services related to environmental health for His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar. The Agency was formed in 1995 from the Environmental Health Department. Previously known as the Public Health Department it had its origins in the Sanitary Commissioners who were founded in Gibraltar in the early 19th Century and constructed the water supply and sanitation systems.

How we work

The Environmental Agency is responsible for the enforcement of many areas of environmental and public health legislation. It is headed by the Chief Environmental Health Officer who together with Environmental Health Officers, Assistant Environmental Health Officers, Pest Control Operatives and administrative staff ensure that the Agency’s responsibilities are met  and plays an important role in delivering the environmental policies of the Government.

Some of the areas that the Agency oversees are food hygiene and safety, the abatement of statutory nuisances, monitoring of air, drinking and bathing water quality, environmental protection, waste regulation and pest control.

 

The variety of calls and enquires that we receive from the public and other agencies and departments is extremely wide. We are contacted for routine complaints as well as the strange and rare, sometimes as a last resort.

We always endeavour to help the public and solve the problem by dealing with the problem or if its outside our control, reporting the issue to the correct department or Agency. The whole structure of His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar's departments and Agencies can be somewhat daunting and anonymous at times to members of the public so we ensure that we provide feedback to the caller on what is happening.

In the past, some of the concerns we have been called about are listed below. We may not be directly involved with all such issues but we then get the right people to sort it out.

• Refuse accumulations

• Dampness

• Water leaks

• Leaky roofs

• Unsafe structures or parts of buildings

• Deposited household items

• Dog and cat droppings

• Pigeons

• Seagulls

• Barbary Macaques

• Snakes

• Rats and mice

• Cockroaches

• Oil slicks

• Derelict vehicles

• Swarming bees and wasps

• Noise from a variety of sources

• Smells

• Sewage blockages

• Drainage leaks

• Dust

• Washed up dolphins, turtles etc

The Agency is responsible for the provision of other services to the community as follows:

• Issue of permits for importation or export of human remains

• Provision of hearse services to local Funeral Directors.

• Inspection of H M Prison. This is carried out as required by the Public Health Act and reports are submitted to both the Superintendent of Prison and the Board of Governors.

Preparation and revision of the Off-Site Emergency Plan designed to respond to any radiation emergency which might arise from visits by Nuclear Powered Warships to HM Naval Base. The Plan can be read here.

• Advising Government on Environmental issues and in particular on some EU related matters

• Competent Authority for EU Eco-Environment and Audit Scheme (EMAS)

• Competent Authority for EU Eco-Labeling Scheme

• Competent Authority in respect of notification and consent for activities involving genetic modification

• Membership of the following committees

• Civil Contingency Committee

• Gibraltar Liaison Committee on Nuclear Accidents

• Infection Control Committee

• Joint Local Advisory Group on EU Funding Programme

• Litter Control Committee

• Monitoring Committee on EU Funding Programme

• Noise Core Steering Committee

• Oil Pollution Action Committee

• Recycling Committee