After all, the quarry of Palmeira, in Monchique, is complying with the exploration rules. According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition, the quarry is not operating outside the licensed area, it has a license, an approved mining plan and, therefore, is in operation (in critical situation).
According to the clarification sent to the Sul Informação by the Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition (MATE), the General Directorate of Energy and Geology (DGEG) verified “that there is no exploration outside the licensed area”, so the quarry can continue operating.
In November, when our newspaper made known the case of this syenite exploitation that has not followed the rules for 15 years, the Ministry of Environment admitted to our newspaper that it had received complaints about the existence of works «without complying with the approved Quarry Plan and, probably, outside the quarry area», which, according to the tutelage, does not happen.
Although everything is fine with regard to the rules of exploration, it is still ongoing. an extraordinary inspection action of the General Inspectorate of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning (IGAMAOT), regarding land use planning and nature conservation, whose report should be available at the end of April.
According to MATE, this inspection “aimed at evaluating compliance with the easements and restrictions of public utility in force in the Municipality of Monchique, with incidence on the area of Pedreira n.º 3646, called “Palmeira n.º 2” and other occupations existing in a contiguous area, covered by the Natura 2000 Network, National Ecological Reserve and Natural Mineral Water Exploitation Protection Perimeter».
This inspection intends to "evaluate the regularity of the occupation of that territory, with the purpose of evaluating the procedure for granting this license with the licensing entities (CM Monchique and DGEG)".
This quarry was included in the Critical Situation Quarries Intervention Plan, being one of the farms with high priority and whose level of intervention is also high..
According to MATE, the company Pedra Secular Lda, which operates the quarry, has already been notified “to carry out the measures foreseen there for signaling, sealing and the execution project (geotechnical study)”.
The intervention in this quarry has an estimated cost of 93 thousand euros.
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