The possible exploitation of feldspar in the Serra de Monchique is once again scaring the council. On 15 October, work was detected on land, without authorization, in the Carapitotas area, on the Maia site, on a property purchased by the company Sifucel – Silicas SA.
The work was stopped by the local authority and the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) and the company says it was not prospecting for minerals, just cleaning up the land, but the Council believes that stones were removed from the site to assess the presence of feldspar.
The situation has already prompted a question to the Minister of Economy of the Algarve deputy elected by PCP Paulo Sá, since authorizations for prospecting and exploration of ore are the responsibility of the General Directorate of Energy and Geology.
Rui André, mayor of Monchique, explained to Sul Informação that “we received information from the inspection service that there was a rotating machine making interventions in that location. The machine operator told our inspector that he was carrying out a reforestation operation to plant cork oaks, which was not confirmed. It was an illegal activity and we proceeded with the embargo».
This meeting between the Chamber inspector and the rotating machine operator took place on October 15th. When the same inspector returned to the land, on the 28th, to stop the work, «no one was working on the site» and the rotating machine was no longer there either. However, "the area of the land remodeling works was increased and stones were removed and transported", the report reads. Sul Informação had access.
The land where the works were carried out is part of the National Ecological Reserve and also of the Natura 2000 network, so prior authorization would be required to carry out interventions, one of the facts that led the CCDR to stop the work in November.
Rui André explains that an exploration in that location would also violate the PDM of the municipality of Monchique. However, the mayor fears that "the company can get a PIN (Project of National Interest), on top of our PDM, and, with the collection of stones that was made, it can sensitize the Government."
Therefore, Rui André says he will “ask the DGEG not to consider the samples obtained illegally. I received an order from Sifucel, but I rejected it, as it did not meet certain requirements».
In addition to the fact that the land is located «in an area of REN, RAN and Natura Network», there is an issue that concerns the Municipality of Monchique and the Parish Council of Alferce even more. «In that perimeter, there are water springs that supply the parish of Alferce».
The Monchique Municipal Assembly has also taken a stand and approved a motion against prospecting for feldspar in that area in early December.
However, Rui André says that, on the part of the local authority, “there may be an opening to exploit this resource elsewhere. I'm a committed environmentalist, but I have to see both sides and the employment possibilities it can bring to an aging county. But never in this place, which has a very negative impact», he concludes.
Sifucel's permission to prospect for feldspar raises doubts
Although the works carried out by Sifucel do not have permission from the City Council and the CCDR, this company asked the Government, in 2011, for prospecting and research rights in the area where it has now carried out work on the ground. The image of the requested area is published on the DGEG website and can be seen here on the side.
Since then, the entity's website has no further information about the attribution, or not, of feldspar prospecting and research rights in that area to Sifucel.
In addition to this 2011 request, Sifucel has registered an Experimental Exploration Request for the same area, but judging by the map published on the DGEG website, dated July 28, 2015, the rights have not yet been granted.
This question motivated the question sent this week to the Economy minister by PCP deputy Paulo Sá. The elected by the district of Faro wants to know if «following Notice No. 15635/2011, of 9 August 2011, the previous PSD/CDS Government granted the company SIFUCEL – Silicas SA prospecting and research rights for feldspar, in Carapitotas, Monchique municipality» , if «reports were obtained from ICNF, CCDR Algarve and/or ARH Algarve» and «what is the meaning of these opinions, if any».
The communist deputy also wants to know if "rights have been granted to prospect and search for feldspar in other areas of the Serra de Monchique". If so, “in which areas and to which companies?”.
Paulo Sá also asks the Government if it confirms "that the intervention of deforestation and extraction of feldspar in the Carapitotas land was illegal" and "what measures will be adopted to ensure that this company will restore the land to the state prior to the intervention."
Finally, the PCP wants to know "what are the Government's intentions regarding the exploitation of feldspar in the Serra de Monchique?"
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