Murcia region authorities have moved to levy penalties totaling 2.45 million euros against seven farming firms as Campo de Cartagena finalizes its position on illegal desalination facilities. Over a span of just over five years, from 2012 to 2017, roughly 4.26 cubic hectometers of saline water were dumped into the Mar Menor.
The decision was grudgingly accepted, prompted by the March 2022 ruling from the Superior Court. The Environmental Liability procedure was pursued, and La Opinión de Murcia, part of the Prensa Ibérica network, obtained access to the full technical dossier.
The Coastal Protection Area’s late-2022 assessment found no viable repairs. The brine releases had already reached the Mar Menor, and denitrification was no longer feasible. Consequently, a theoretical compensation estimate was computed to reflect the cost of denitrifying the discharged brines at 0.575 euros per cubic meter.
Reports describe the leaks as progressing beyond repair, according to EFE news service.
The sanctions target Ciky Oro, G’s Spain (a subsidiary of the multinational Gs Holding), Agriculture in Van, Concrete Mar Menor (owned by Bernardino Vidal and Juan Pedro López), and a group linked to agricultural entrepreneurs Isidro Soto and Roque Madrid. Ciky Oro’s file appears in materials connected to the Topillo case, which involved three illegal desalination plants on multiple farms. The family business is estimated to have released 1.3 million cubic meters of brine containing nitrates between 2012 and 2017, with a proposed fine near 800,000 euros.
Vanda Agropecuaria faces a proposed penalty above 353,000 euros for discharging 615,000 cubic meters through two desalination plants that contained more than 3,150,000 kilograms of nitrate. Isidro Soto’s firm operated a plant that released more than 27,000 cubic meters of brine with over 12,000 kilograms of nitrate, resulting in a penalty around 15,500 euros. The Roque Madrid operation dumped about 120,000 cubic meters of waste and faces a 68,800-euro fine.
In the Concrete Mar Menor case, a desalination plant produced 32,776 cubic meters of water with just over 15,000 kilograms of nitrate, earning a fine of 18,846 euros. Inagroup connects to a discharge of 160,000 cubic meters carrying 54,701 kilograms of nitrate, with a penalty of 91,655 euros for its lone illegal installation.
The heftiest sanction targets G’s España
The largest proposed penalty is aimed at G’s España, a holding entity investigated in the Topillo case as part of the Campo de Cartagena Society of Irrigation Experts. It operated two unlawful desalination plants at a warehouse, discharging nearly 2 million cubic meters of brine containing 216,707 kilograms of nitrate. The community has proposed a fine of 1.1 million euros for this group.
G’s España, Ciky Oro, and Vanda Agropecuaria were singled out for the volume of brine discharges. Most other operators, accounting for about 5% of the total nitrates released, were classified as having committed a serious rather than a very serious breach.
Severe impact on the lagoon
Technical reports from the community indicate that discharges from these desalination facilities account for between 13% and 29% of the annual nitrate load reaching the Mar Menor. The community recognizes this contribution as a serious environmental impact on the lagoon, which is described as acute in its current condition.
The desalination waste represents 13% to 29% of annual nitrate input.
The report details the environmental damage caused by the discharges, which traversed several pathways to reach the lagoon. Soil seepage occurs when waste pools in ponds and via the brine pipeline to Albujón boulevard. In total, illegal desalination plants released 4.26 million cubic meters of brine into the lagoon, carrying more than 1,000 tonnes of nitrate across five and a half years, roughly equivalent to 1,716 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
When estimating the nitrate share produced by these illegal facilities, the 2017 Comprehensive Report from the Scientific Advisory Board was consulted alongside the 2020 analysis by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). The annual nitrate input is estimated to range from 700 to 1,600 tonnes, meaning the 205 tonnes discharged annually by sanctioned companies represent 13–29 percent of the total nitrate input.
Aerial view of Mar Menor
These sanction proposals were issued by the Community in March 2022, with the Superior Court ordering the start of environmental liability proceedings against the seven companies or agricultural operators. The Ministry of Environment had previously argued it lacked authority in this matter.
Following this, companies are expected to receive hearing permission to challenge the proposed sanctions.
Report links blame to Nacra’s decline
The Coastal Protection Area’s report, submitted to the General Directorate of Environment and drawing on studies by the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, concludes that nitrates affected the entire lagoon and all species and habitats within the affected zone. The Nacra population is highlighted as being in an endangered state due to saline water and other pressures, risking extinction under current conditions.
Nacras have shown a sharp decline since 2017, linked to the eutrophic crisis of 2016. Surface chlorophyll concentrations rose dramatically in the 1980s, with recent measurements exceeding normal levels by more than a hundredfold. The chlorophyll increase is tied to higher nutrient levels, and nitrate-induced damage persists due to lasting nitrate in the ecosystem. Coastal Protection Area technicians estimate the desalination plant activity affected about 135 square kilometers of the lagoon.
Additional notes appear in the report, shared with environmental authorities for further action. These findings underscore the scale of the environmental challenge facing the Mar Menor and the stakeholders responsible for the nutrient and brine discharges.