SOS for the Galicia's native forests: No opencast mining in Pico Vello
A planned andalusite opencast mine would occupy 277,016 square metres on the boundaries of the Fragas do Eume, a National Park which is a prime example of Atlantic forest and is one of the forest jewels of Spain. “Fraga” means forest in the Galician language and Fragas do Eume is an area of native Atlantic forest with oaks, holly, hazel, birch as well as other tree species. The biodiversity as well as the water and the health of the community will all be seriously affected. Please write to the Galician Authorities today to express your indignation and to demand the project to be stopped.
Call to action“”
A planned andalusite opencast mine would occupy 277,016 square metres on the boundaries of the Fragas do Eume, a National Park which is a prime example of Atlantic forest and is one of the forest jewels of Spain. “Fraga” means forest in the Galician language and Fragas do Eume is an area of native Atlantic forest with oaks, holly, hazel, birch as well as other tree species. The biodiversity as well as the water and the health of the community will all be seriously affected.
Environmental organisations in Galicia have joined forces to demand the preservation of Pico Vello, where the mine is planned and to stop to construction of the mine. In spite of the opposition of social networks and local councils affected by the plans, the Galician Administration has not so far assumed their legal obligation to protect the environment. They prefer to back the economic interests of the mining company, which hopes to receive 6.3 million Euros of public money. The few jobs which would be generated by the company, Picobello Andalucita S.L., do not justify the destruction of this area of immense beauty and ecological importance, not to mention the risk to the health of the population caused by freshwater pollution. Picobello Andalucita S.L. plans for mining andalusite in the As Pontes region were publicly released by the government of Galicia in March 2005. Andalusite is a mineral used in the construction of industrial ovens for the chemical and other industries. The project was rejected in September 2006 due to the fact that the mine would have invaded the Fragas do Eume National Park . Months later, the company submitted a new proposal, reducing the size of the project and moving the site a mere 50 metres away from the National Park. This distance is not enough to prevent pollution from dust, noise and air emissions, which no doubt will ultimately affect not only the protected areas but also the surrounding homes. Astoundingly the project was approved in February 2010. The environmental risk posed by the first application persist. Mining would destroy the source of the River Belelle. This does not comply with the legislation on mining, which forbids such activities within a 100 metre distance from fresh water springs. Nor does it observe the principle of prioritising water supplies to local people. Moreover, the suggested site for dumping waste is located on the abundant River Eume, which is the main source of freshwater and thus life in the Natural Park. Air emissions, dust and noise would further jeopardise the life of this river . The same site boasts 25 hectares of native forest , which would be devastated. This type of forest or Fraga represents a small sanctuary for biodiversity in Galicia. The number and extent of such forests are greatly threatened by the spread of foreign species such as the eucalyptus and by large infrastructure projects. The Galician Administration has chosen to ignore the fact that place close to Pico Vello has been included in the proposed extension of the Natura 2000 network, though surprisingly not Pico Vello itself. The environmental organisations have already submitted a formal complaint against irregularities in the concession of mining projects to the Environmental Judicial Body. Please support the call of environmentalists in Galicia and send a letter to the Galician Administration expressing your concerns about and rejection of such a destructive development.
For more details, see http://picovello.blogspot.com/ (in Spanish).
With this protest action, Rainforest Rescue supports Galician NGOs. Here you find the letter translation into englisch.
BackgroundPresident of the Government of Galicia secretaria.presidente@xunta.es
Department for Economic and Industrial Development cei.comunicacion@xunta.es
General Director Industry, Energy and Mining carmen.miras.mosquera@xunta.es
Department for Environment, Land and Infrastructure gabinete.mati@xunta.es
General Secretary for Quality and Environment sxma@xunta.es President of
Augas de Galicia (Water Company) presidencia.augas@xunta.es Conselleiro do Medio Rural gabinete.mrural@xunta.es
General Dirctor of Nature Conservation dxcn@xunta.es
Mayor As Pontes de García Rodríguez alcaldia@aspontes.org
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am writing to support the concerns of Galician enviornmental groups about the recent approval of the Environmental Impact Declaration for Sonsolves' IV 6156.1 concession for a mining project in the parish of Goente, Department of As Pontes de García Rodríguez (A Coruña, Spain), which is being promoted by the company Picobello Andalucita, S.L. The mineral deposits are located next to Fragas do Eume National Park in the Pico Vello area, most of which is covered a dense native forest called "fraga" and by pasture, habitat for many fauna and flora species of particular biodiversity concern, such as kermes oak bush, for which the mild and humid Atlantic climate has created a priority habitat in Galicia and which is in danger of extinction, according to the EU Habitats Directive. A piece of land right next to Pico Vello is included in Natura 2000 extension proposal. Natura 2000 is the main European biodiversity conservation network which is protected by law.. Fontardion mountain, which is next to Pico Vello, constitutes the only ecological corridor between Fragas do Eume Natural Park and the Xubia de Castro Ecological Site of Community Interest, both of which are included in Natura 2000. Carrying out the mine exploitation would mean the loss of this ecological corridor and the irreversible destruction of immense natural and ethnographical heritage (indigenous forests or“fragas”, streams, heather, waterwheels, etc). We must also be aware of the adverse effects which the project would have on Fragas do Eume National Park, since the waste dump would be right on the Maciñeira stream which feeds into the Rio Eume- the main river across the Natural Park. This would result in serious pollution caused by leaching, runoffs, etc. Negative effects which this project would cause to the Natural Park- located a mere 50 metres away from the ovencast mining area – have not been explained in detail in the Enviromental Impact Assessment. Iconsider the buffer zone to be insufficient for keeping the National Park safe from damaging pollution caused by mining. Authorizing this mining exploitation would also lead to the definitive and irreversible elimination of one of river Belelle's main springs, which would seriously diminish both the quantity and quality of its waters. River Belelle provides drinking water to an important amount of population in A Capela, Cabanas, Fene, Neda and Ferrol boroughs. The Environmental Impact Assessment has only been done in respect of one of the affected riversheds, Rio Eume's, clearly ignoring the effects upon Rio Belelle's watershed. I use the word “clearly” because the Cernadas stream appears in the document as being part of river Eume's watershed and not part of river Belelle's, which it actually is. On seeing this omission, it is clearly understood that an adequate assessment about the effects on this watershed has not been done. For the forementioned reasons, I join the public rejection already expressed by different social groups and affected councils, who see their drinking water provision jeopardised, appart from not finding any economical benefit whatsoever for carrying out a project with serious environmental impacts. I support the rejection expressed by Galician environmental groups against a mine project which would result in the destruction of Pico Vello’s fraga and River Belelle’s spring, and which would seriously affect Fragas do Eume National Park. Due to the flaws in the Environmental Impact Assessment, the Government must nullify it. Finally, I demand that the different Government bodies respect existing legislation expressly commit themselves to environmental protection as taking priority over temporary private interests such as the proposed andalusite mine in Pico Vello, thus encouraging sustainable, environmentally and socially respectful economic models.
I hope you will respond quickly and effectively to the concerns and demands expressed in this letter. Yours faithfully,
Sr. Alberto Núñez Feijoo
Presidente da Xunta de Galicia
secretaria.presidente@xunta.es
Sr. Javier Guerra
Conselleiro de Economía e Industria
cei.comunicacion@xunta.es
Sr. D. Ángel Bernardo Tahoces
Director Xeral de Industria, Enerxía e Minas
carmen.miras.mosquera@xunta.es
Sr. Agustín Hernández Fernández de Rojas
Conselleiro de Medio Ambiente, Territorio e
Infraestructuras
gabinete.mati@xunta.es
Sr. Justo de Benito Basanta
Secretario Xeral de Calidade e Avaliación Ambiental
sxma@xunta.es
Sra. Ethel María Vázquez Mourelle
Presidenta de Augas de Galicia
presidencia.augas@xunta.es
Sr. Samuel Juárez Casado
Conselleiro do Medio Rural
gabinete.mrural@xunta.es
Sr. Ricardo García-Borregón
Director Xeral de Conservación da Natureza
dxcn@xunta.es
Sr. Valentín González Formoso
Alcalde Concello de As Pontes de García Rodríguez
alcaldia@aspontes.org
Estimados/as Señores/as:
A través desta carta quero compartir a miña preocupación cos grupos ecoloxistas galegos ante a recente aprobación da Declaración de Impacto Ambiental para o proxecto de explotación mineira da concesión Sonsolves IV 6156.1, na Parroquia de Goente, concello de As Pontes de García Rodríguez (A Coruña), promovido por Picobello Andalucita, S.L.
O xacemento está na zona do Pico Vello, lindante co Parque Natural Fragas do Eume, e constituída na súa maior parte por unha fraga mesta e pasteiros, coa presenza de numerosas especies de fauna e flora con interese biolóxico como os queirugais húmidos atlánticos de clima temperado, considerados como hábitat prioritario, é dicir, en perigo de desaparición, segundo a Directiva Hábitats do Consello da Unión Europea. Tan só unha zona próxima a Pico Vello está incluída na proposta de ampliación da Rede Natura 2000, sendo esta a principal rede ecolóxica a nivel europeo baseada na conservación da biodiversidade e que otorga unha figura de protección a aqueles territorios onde existan hábitats de interese comunitario.
O monte Fontardión, ao pé do cal se atopa Pico Vello, constitúe o único corredor ecolóxico entre o Parque Natural Fragas do Eume e Lugar de Interese Comunitario Xubia-Castro, ámbolos dous incluídos xa na Rede Natura 2000. A posta en funcionamento da explotación suporía a perda deste corredor ecolóxico e a destrución irreversible dun inmenso patrimonio natural e etnográfico (fragas, regos, brañas, muíños, ...).
Non hai que esquecer que o proxecto afectaría tamén ó Parque Natural Fragas do Eume, dado que a entulleira situaríase xusto sobre rego Maciñeira, afluente do río Eume, principal cauce que percorre o Parque Natural, o que suporía unha grave contaminación, por lixiviacións, escorreduras, etc. No informe de avaliación ambiental non se detallan as repercusións negativas derivadas da execución do proxecto sobre o Parque Natural situado a tan só 50 metros de distancia da zona da extracción; entendemos que a franxa de amortecemento non é abondo para librarlo das afeccións causadas pola contaminación da mina.
Autorizar esta explotación provocaría tamén a eliminación definitiva e irreversible dunha das fontes principais do río Belelle, afectando gravemente tanto á cantidade como á calidade das súas augas, das que se subministra a unha poboación importante dos concellos de A Capela, Cabanas, Fene, Neda e Ferrol. A valoración do Impacto Ambiental faise unicamente sobre unha das dúas bacías fluviais afectadas, a do río Eume, omitindo expresamente a afección á bacía do río Belelle. Dicimos “expresamente” pola razón de aparecer encadrado o Rego Cernadas na bacía do Río Eume e non na cunca do Río Belelle, como corresponde coa realidade. Debido a esta omisión, enténdese claramente porque non se fai un balance axeitado sobre as afeccións a esta bacía.
Súmome, por todo o dito, ao rexeitamente público manifestado por diferentes colectivos sociais e concellos afectados, que ven en perigo a captación de auga para abastecemento das poboacións, ademais de non atopar ningún beneficio económico na posta en marcha dun proxecto de forte impacto na contorna. Apoio o rexeitamento expresado polos grupos ecoloxistas galegos ante un proxecto de explotación que suporía a destrucción da fraga de Pico Vello, o nacemento do Río Belelle e afectaría gravemente ao Parque Natural Fragas do Eume. Os responsables públicos deberían invalidar a declaración de Impacto Ambiental, dadas as eivas atopadas na mesma. Por último, esixo aos diferentes órgaos da Adminsitración Pública o respeto da lexislación vixente e un compromiso claro coa salvagarda da contorna, en detrimento de intereses particulares e transitorios como é a mina de andalucita no lugar de Pico Vello, favorecendo modelos económicos sustentables e respetuosos social e ambientalmente.
Espero unha rápida e eficaz resposta de súa parte ás preocupacións e esixencias expostas nesta carta. Moi atentamente,
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