Members of the Environment and Resources Authority Board should freely and conscientiously address every argument relating to the gas power station tomorrow and respond serenely and truthfully to the issues raised, the church’s environment commission (KA) said.

The ERA is tomorrow expected to decide on the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) application for IPPC permit to include the operation of the power station with gas and the LNG Terminal.

In a statement this afternoon, the KA noted that once again, an issue of national importance, in this case the generation of electricity, was being turned into a political one.

“Whenever this occurs, the discussion is contaminated by partisan interests and the strength of an argument is appreciated not for its validity but by the political allegiance of its proponent.

“The KA feels that, for the benefit of the whole nation, facts have to be made clear to all – nothing should remain concealed but, on the other hand, things should not be blown out of proportion.”

Nothwithstanding the undue pressure for the issue of the permit, so that the new deadline for the new power station’s start of operations was respected, board members should freely and conscientiously address every argument, and respond serenely and truthfully to the issues raised in the public consultation stage and to others that might be raised during the public meeting.

If members still harboured doubts about the application, these should be sorted out prior to any decision.

“The ERA has a duty of care of the quality of life of all citizens, particularly of the people living in the area, and cannot delegate to the applicant of the permit the wholesale responsibility of anything that may go wrong in the future,” it said.

It hoped that whatever was decided would help to improve everyone’s quality of life and contribute towards unity and not division in the country.