Our F1 mole in Spain reacts to eco-warriers’ attack on Valencia street circuit

The European Commission has dismissed claims by environmental group Verda that the street circuit for this season’s European GP, currently being constructed in Valencia, is using land that has been set aside as a “green area”. The environmentalists also say that impact studies were not carried out correctly, that noise studies were not distributed as mandated, and that maps of the course were not properly filed. Pedants.

The European parliament’s Commissioner for the Environment, Stavros Dimas, has said that he will investigate Verda’s claims. If Dimas discovers any wrongdoing, the Valencian government could face penalties for failing to comply with the European Directive on Pollution Acoustics – the construction of the circuit is a public project, after all.

Our man in Valencia has this to say about Verda:

“[It’s] interesting, Verda’s claim that the street circuit is being built on protected land. Truth is, it was formerly occupied by old gas deposits which have left the land seeped in poison, making it unfit for any kind of human activity. However, if you’re passing through at 300kph shouldn’t be a problem… subsidence is quite another though.”

Seems that Verda is doing its best to undermine the whole project, but ultimately, fines or no fines, the race will surely go ahead as planned, on August 24.