João Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment and Energy Transition, ordered an investigation the case of the Palmeira quarry, in Monchique, and expects to receive "within days" the results of that inspection.
The government official told journalists that he was "waiting" for the conclusions of the investigation.
"If the inspection results in an indication that the quarry should be closed, I will certainly agree", said Matos Fernandes, who this Thursday, 6 December, participated in the closing of the seminar "Circular Economy of the Algarve", at the Coordination and Regional Development, in Faro.
The General Inspectorate of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning (IGAMAOT) had already guaranteed the Sul Informação, which is «following up» the case of quarry of Palmeira, in Monchique, which has not followed the rules for 15 years, guaranteeing that it will “intervene, if justified”.
Speaking to our newspaper, Nuno Banza, general inspector of IGAMAOT, had 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 it could be us or the ASAE to instruct the case'.
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 Monchique City Council to embargo outside the zone. licensed, such as the Sul Informação revealed it firsthand last November 30th.
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