UP to a thousand residents marched in Los Montesinos on Tuesday to protest against the council deciding to house a regional biowaste recycling plant.
Locals were angry about the lack of consultation before a deal was struck and approved by the town’s mayor Jose Manuel Butron.
An agreement was made after months of secret talks with the Vega Baja Sustainable Consortium before being approved by the council that the PSOE’s Butron has controlled since its formation in 1991.
PROTEST HITS MONTESINOS CENTRE
Opponents are concerned about smells coming from the facility which would be located on the town’s Levante industrial estate as well as lorries bringing in rubbish to be recycled from around the Vega Baja.
Tuesday’s march was the largest seen in the 5,000 population municipality since the days of it trying to gain its individual status from Almoradi, which it achieved in 1990.
Protestors chanted against the mayor, who was away on holiday, during the kilometre-long walk from the industrial estate to the town hall.
Please enable JavaScriptVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPlayCurrent Time 0:00Duration 0:00Remaining Time -0:00Watch on HumixFullscreenNow PlayingUp NextOlive Press TV live report from Las Hogueras de San Juan 2019 in Alicante4:03Now PlayingUp NextSnails, filter coffee and Madonna’s fave furniture in Spain’s coolest neighbourhood4:09Now PlayingUp NextPollution Resistant Plants For Urban Gardens3:47Now PlayingUp NextWATCH: Gibraltar National Day celebrates the territory’s remain vote from 51 years ago1:40Now PlayingUp NextExploring the Restricted Tropical Paradise of the British Indian Ocean Territory2:33Now PlayingUp NextTop 10 Countries Leading in Environmental Sustainability4:38Now PlayingUp NextThe Olive Press visits Podemos HQ in Madrid0:39Now PlayingUp NextAirport Security Strike in Alicante: What Travelers Need to Know2:24Now PlayingUp NextThe Olive Press reporting live from Ontinyent for BBC One this morning.3:41Now PlayingUp Next’Mass suicide’–expat campaign groups react to UK general election on Olive Press TV roundup Dec 6-135:25The biowaste plant would treat household and hospitality food waste which would be converted into organic fertiliser.
Land covering 3,500 m2 has been allocated on the industrial estate for the facility which would cost €4 million to build.
The Vega Baja Sustainable Consortium says it will have a minimal environmental impact.
The plant would recycle 4,400 tonnes of waste per year with Los Montesinos council getting a €3 payment per tonne of waste plus an annual €22,500 fee for ‘environmental improvements’.
Residents say the 4,500 tonne figure is conservative as the Vega Baja region generates over 100,000 tonnes of waste per annum.
