The Xunta announces that its first environmental reports on the Altri installation are favorable to the project

The Minister of the Environment, Ángeles Vázquez, has responded from the microphones of Radio Galega to the historic demonstration against Altri macrocellulose in Palas de Rei (Lugo), which brought together tens of thousands of people in Santiago de Compostela, announcing that The project already has three favorable reports from its department and the process is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.

Specifically, these are the files carried out by the General Directorate of Natural Heritage, the Institute of Territorial Studies and the General Directorate of Quality and Sustainability. “I can say that they are favorable” despite the fact that “more information was requested and more was demanded from the company.”

Vázquez recalled that there are 26 reports that the Xunta must prepare on the project. His department still lacks others, such as that of Augas de Galicia, although the bulk of them are being prepared by the Department of Industry. “When you finish them, what you will do is send them to the Environment where each one will be evaluated independently.” A process that he would “like” to be closed in the first quarter of next year, after ruling out that they can do it, as they intended, in 2024.

“The rush is limited because the technicians evaluate, study, request reports…” and that is why it cannot be done “in ten days”, although he understands the rush since the company needs “the appropriate response to make the corresponding decisions” .

“The Xunta is not going to prevaricate”

Asked about this Sunday’s demonstration – which overflowed Praza do Obradoiro, reaching 100,000 people, according to the organizers – she defended that it is a democratic “right”, but appealed to those who “urge” these mobilizations, both political parties and organizations environmental, to “stop manipulating information” since “every project that is installed in Galicia has to pass very rigorous environmental controls.”

Vázquez understands that, when the Galician government is asked to stop the project, “we are being told to prevaricate.” “The Xunta is not going to prevaricate and neither will the technicians and officials.” He insisted that it is not a question “of taste and colors” but “of compliance with the law.”

“We want a balance between the environment and jobs,” he reiterated once again after pointing out that the requirements that companies that set up in the community must meet “have nothing to do with the express procedure of the central government.”

“Here there are parties that bark and even bite” when they “report projects to the court,” but those same forces supported the Royal Decree of the executive that approved this express procedure. “When the Government has to request information about a project in Galicia, it only gives us ten days and, if we do not answer, it is understood that it is favorable.” “They should stop cheating, they should stop manipulating and, above all, what they cannot ask for is that officials and the Xunta have to prevaricate.”

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