again a open pit mining it pits the interests of a private company against the interests of the neighborhood in the area. Ecologists and residents of municipalities in the northeast of the province of Segovia have condemned the environmental and aquiferous impact of the project to establish a large open-pit quartz mine in this region, located close to the border with the Community of Madrid.
In a statement, Ecologistas en Acción, which decided to present the claims, draws attention to the fact that the company ERIMSA, headquartered in A Coruña, has asked the Junta de Castilla y León for permission for an open pit mine. It will cover more than 2,700 hectares.
Mining will cover A “large stretch of land” equivalent to around 1,600 football fields, affecting six municipalities over the next 30 years: Barbolla, Sotillo, Castillejo de Mesleón, Cerezo de Arriba, Cerezo de Abajo and Duruelo.
“The cause of the enormous area affected is the material of mining interest. It covers a very superficial layer of land with an average thickness of 1.62 meters.”, explain ecologists.
The purpose of this mine was to extract quartz gravel to obtain metallurgical quartz, the ultimate goal of which, according to the project, would be “export to Norway and other countries”, the ecologists explained in their statement.
Established a neighborhood platform
Residents of this area have expressed concern about the extent and duration of the exploitation. risks in aquifers and established the “Platform against the open pit mine”, which held its first meeting in the municipality of Cerezo de Abajo. The Project will affect the Specially Protected Area (ZEC) on the banks of the Duratón river ZEC-ES41600849.
The platform said in a statement that this open pit mine It harms livestock, agriculture, environmental tourism and the health of residents.
Yield loss of agricultural lands and inevitable erosion, water pollution, destruction of nature, landscape, flora and fauna and above all damage to the general economy field will have other consequences.
Although the mining company that introduced the project stated that it will create 30 jobs, those affected state the following in their letters: there are only six jobs detailed in the submitted documents.
After the project has been scanned to extract the quartz, most materials are returned to the groundhowever, ecologists will also consider it as the guarantor of the integrity of the Duero Hydrographic Confederation, explaining that the open pit mining system and its operating time will result in a profound environmental impact, including drastic changes in soil structure and porosity. EU’s Natura 2000 Network.
That is why Ecologytas en Accion, one of the mining projects with the most negative environmental impact in the last 20 years and request the rejection of the application.
The company denies the reported effect
The company that introduced the project, on the other hand, argued that it is a project. “modern and sustainable” mining model “environmentally conserving and not affecting the fertility of the land” rather than causing ecological destruction.
ERIMSA also states that mine is suitable for animal husbandry, agriculture, tourism and forestry. They also recall that the company had “for forty years” mined quartz in various regions of Castilla y León as well as Galicia, and always “lived with its neighbors and landowners”.
The company underlines that its operating model is “very different” from traditional mining. They make use of the soil sieving system, which tries to separate the fertile layer of the soil in the first place and then sifts the material at a depth of about one and a half meters. To leave on site less than 40 millimeters of material, which guarantees that the original level of the farms is maintained. Finally, the fertile layer is restored to its initial state and leveling and sub-earthing is done.”
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]