The General Inspectorate for Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning (IGAMAOT) is "following closely" the case of quarry of Palmeira, in Monchique, which has not followed the rules for 15 years, and guarantees that he will “intervene, if justified”.
In statements to the Sul Informação, after we made this case known, Nuno Banza, inspector general of IGAMAOT, said that «the matter is being dealt with by the General Directorate of Energy and Geology (DGEG), but we are going to analyze the news report we received and we or the ASAE may instruct the process'.
The Ministry of Environment had already told our newspaper that «the participation of the Ministry of Environment was sent to the General Inspectorate of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning» and that, due to the fact that there were works without «complying with the plan approved quarry and probably outside the quarry area, a report was also sent to ASAE'.
The tutelage also guarantees that «all the competent entities have been involved and are following the process (DSRHG from DGEG because of Caldas de Monchique, APA-ARH, ICNF and City Council). IGAMAOT's intervention is also dependent on the actions of other bodies.
This entity is also, at this time, producing a report, requested by the Minister for the Environment, on the situation of the quarries in the marble area of Borba, Vila Viçosa and Estremoz. This report was requested after the collapse of the road, which caused the death of five people.
The quarry at Palmeira works in an area that is Rede Natura 2000 and is part of the protection perimeter of the Mineral Water of Caldas de Monchique, a situation that, according to documentation available to our newspaper, is also worrying Sociedade das Águas from Monchique.
That syenite farm has been licensed since 1988, but it was not working between 1997 and 2003, having resumed work that year.
Since then, complaints and complaints have been made by residents due to non-compliance with various rules, such as the working hours of the quarry, or the constant expansion of the exploration area without permission, which has even led the Municipality of Monchique to embargo outside the licensed zone, such as the Sul Informação revealed it firsthand last November 30th.
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