NO. NO. NO. NO. TAMARA NO. Some graffiti in capital letters reveal that something is happening in the Vega de Tera Town Hall (Zamora, 300 inhabitants). At least they have been written with chalk, as if the author wanted to wage war, but without going overboard with vandalism. Some sheets of paper outside the window say: “No to the biogas plant!” or “The few that remain are leaving.” These protests have been joined by a demonstration, unusual in peaceful towns like this, against the council's plan to favor a biomethane plant. Tamara Fuentes, mayor for the PP, defends it as a job generator, but critics warn against the movement of trucks, possible odors and the horror of rural tourism. The company, The Portuguese multinational Capwatt is considering locations to produce biomethane through slurry treatment. The neighborhood fears the proliferation of macro farms and accuses the councilor of seeking personal benefit, since she runs a pig farm.
The first concentration took place on March 30. Dozens of neighbors, a crowd given the demographic crisis in Zamora, came with homemade and forceful signs. “This project smells bad,” read one, accompanied by a drawing of a poop. “Let's take care of the Tera Valley,” another prayed. “No to slurry trafficking in our towns,” complemented another banner. That bustle contrasts with the stillness of a weekday, where only the humming of the horn of the traveling fishmonger breaks the silence. Residents and cats come with the same purpose: to catch some fish. The former opt for cuttlefish, sea bass and ration roosters; The latter take advantage of some tripe or remains dispensed by the chatty fishmonger, who discusses the topic of the moment with the clientele. A woman, requesting anonymity while reaching for the merchandise, admits the “heated spirits” about the project and recites the adverse arguments: the traffic of multiple trucks on that simple road, possible bad odors, proliferation of macro farms and the particular interest of the mayor Another neighbor, sitting in the sun while waiting his turn, highlights to the confidant on wheels his attendance at the first demonstration and his plans to attend the second, scheduled for May 4: “Well, well… we are all very upset.”
The population scarcity of the region leads to protecting identity. Nobody wants to be recognized for their testimonies, like a resident of Vega who breaks down the case. “Those plants should leave a benefit, a return, this area is in the ICU because the mayor's party has let it die and this is bread for today and hunger for tomorrow,” summarizes the woman, reluctant to Tamara's arguments. According to her, in the tense explanatory talks held with the census, it will involve about six jobs, will have an impact on the hospitality industry and will attract inhabitants. The anonymous Zamora emphasizes the passage of the Camino de Santiago through this area in the west of the province, human and economic traffic potentially deterred by the expected traffic of 40 trucks a day, synonymous with noise and an antonym of spiritual peace. At the same time, since it is a foreign entity, they fear that the workforce will be formed abroad and will not provide local employment.
The mayor attends the town hall office. “At the moment nothing has been signed, we are looking at the viability with the company, but four people from outside have gotten angry, most of them are not registered,” he explains, accusing the outsiders of preventing investment when they only come to town “to spend the summer, with tranquility and good views.” Fuentes avoids accusations of partisan interests “as if it were just for me, there are other companies, ranchers or pomace manufacturers that would also benefit and have supported me.” This rancher, who plans to expand her pig farm, assures that she has agreements with farmers to remove her excrement for free in exchange for giving them that fertilizer: “They are going to come and take the shit from me anyway, it doesn't affect me” . For her, both the subsequent jobs and the workers necessary to build the facilities represent an economic opportunity and advantages for the primary sector, the main financial source in the vicinity. Furthermore, she argues that the tanks do not smell because the slurry stagnates and in fact leaks into the aquifers are eliminated. Fuentes alludes to an investment of 30 million euros and a direct impact of 500,000 euros as soon as the project is signed, rejected in the nearby Santibañez de Vidriales for lack of land. Here they have some disused plots, used as an aggregate dump, where the complex could be built if Capwatt so wishes. The plots are located near Villar de Farfan, Juguera and Vega de Tera, an argument put forward by critics due to their proximity to the centers, although there is just over a kilometer of margin.
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Company spokespersons indicate that everything remains to be seen regarding the biomethane plant, a relatively common mechanism for ecological gas production. “It has not been formally sent and the City Council does not oppose it, we have to analyze the land, the project, we believe that it will leave a return on the environment,” these internal informants point out. Capwatt accepts the neighborhood demonstrations “because everyone is free to express themselves” but they suggest waiting to fully disseminate the plan and then debate, although the residents of Vega de Tera have protested because the mayor explains herself “with a lack of transparency.” The spokespersons for the technology company affirm that this type of action does not cause the feared bad odors because these “agricultural waste” are stored in closed tanks so that the natural putrefaction itself generates biogas as an energy source.
This seemingly innocuous theory clashes with the general complaint on the streets and in private conversations. The elderly, abundant in these small towns in Zamora, have also been concerned and, according to the younger ones, have urged them to “fight” against the biomethane plant. The next demonstration plans to once again show the mayor and those responsible for the multinational the opposition of Vega de Tera and surrounding areas to this initiative. The matter has brought topics of conversation, as well as concern, to streets that are not prone to commotion. Until then, as the town hall notice board reveals, the main news was that more niches were going to be built in the cemetery.
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