"Given that this is not the first time that this situation has happened in this unit and that it is a danger to public health, I think that the company's activity license should be cancelled", said Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé. , in statements to the Sul Informação.
The toxic smoke that was being released from a slow fire that had been raging for over a month at a waste management center in Vale da Venda, in Loulé, is already extinct, but the entities do not consider the case closed.
Contacted by Sul Informação, José Apolinário, president of the Algarve Regional Development and Coordination Commission, reported that «the fire is no longer giving off smoke», although «there is no guarantee that there is still some combustion», other than on the surface.
Vítor Aleixo gave the same guarantee: «we can say that the fire is no longer giving off smoke. There may, eventually, be some combustion, but we don't know, because sand was used to cover it up».
The company's owners began to attack the fire and try to extinguish it following a letter issued by the Regional Health Authority, which demanded the extinguishing of the fire, due to the high levels of particulate matter and benzene detected in the air, which can cause serious health problems, including cancer and respiratory diseases.
“Right now, the situation does not inspire concern. This was possible thanks to a well-conceived action between the Chamber, the CCDR, the Public Health and the Portuguese Environment Agency, which put great pressure on the owners of Inertegarve to act», stated Vítor Aleixo.
However, the municipality has already the promised new inspection of the company's facilities, which involved a multidisciplinary team from the Municipality of Loulé, but also external entities, namely the CCDR, the Civil Protection, the APA and the Regional Health Authority, «to determine if there is room for the application, by the municipality, of some fines».
"The report has not yet been produced, so I still don't know if there could be fines", the Louletano mayor revealed to our newspaper.
On the side of the licensing and supervisory entity, CCDR Algarve, José Apolinário only says that this entity “is closely monitoring the issue and evaluating the procedures and consequences that this fire may have”, for the owners of the company.
Vítor Aleixo has no doubt that, «taking into account the history of the waste management center», it should be banned from working.
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