“History will serve so that something similar does not happen in the future,” he says, noting that the project has been reviewed “with a magnifying glass”
SEVILLA, 22 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
About to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the great environmental catastrophe of Aznalcóllar (Seville), as a consequence of the fracture of the pond of heavy metal waste from the mining complex, then exploited by Boliden-Andaluza de Piritas S.A. (Apirsa), the mayor of the town, Juan José Fernández, has stated that the municipality and its entire region are “hoping that the reopening” of the site “becomes a reality”. “Aznalcóllar cannot be understood without its mine”, he assured.
Juan José Fernández, formerly a miner in the short of his municipality, has recalled in statements to Europa Press that recently, the Minister of Industrial Policy and Energy, Jorge Paradela, stated that the authorization for the reopening of the mining complex after the adjudication of the rights of exploitation to the México-Minorbis group, in which the Andalusian Magtel participates, is only “at the expense of the admissibility report of the discharge to the maritime and terrestrial public domain”, according to the Andalusian Government.
The México-Minorbis project, as the counselor detailed, entails an investment of “316 million euros and the creation of 2,000 direct or indirect jobs”, for the extraction of “45 million tons of copper, zinc and lead”, for 17 years to which must be added three years of construction of the enclosure.
In this context, the mayor of Aznalcóllar has stated that “history”, alluding to the environmental catastrophe of 1998, “will serve so that something similar does not happen in the future”, defending that current mining techniques are ” sustainable” from an environmental perspective and that the authorities have examined “with a magnifying glass” the environmental guarantees of this new mine exploitation project, emphasizing that it does not have a “waste pool” like the one that was damaged in 1998.
As he has defended, projects like this prove that it is possible to “seek harmony and brotherhood” between mining and respect for the environment. Thus, he has ensured that the Aznalcóllar mining stub is going to become “the first mine in Europe and the world” in terms of technology compatible with the environment, a whole “before and after” in the “emerging sector of mining , which is a necessary activity” although always with the corresponding demands in terms of conservation and restoration of the environment, as he said.
Once again, this former miner from Boliden has indicated the economic impact figures of the new mine reopening project, stating that Aznalcóllar and its region, a “depressed” area in economic terms, await the reactivation of the logging and its repercussions. in terms of employment, development and wealth. “We are already waiting to hear the roar of the machines. Aznalcóllar cannot be understood without its mine,” he emphasized.
To the point, he has defended that his municipality is “prepared” to host all the human deployment that derives from the reopening of the mine, with a housing plan with 338 new properties or training actions for young people in order to take advantage of the employment niche which will mean the resumption of mining activity. “We are looking forward to the reopening being a reality”, stated the mayor of Aznalcóllar.
