BE coordinator Mariana Mortagua said this Sunday that mineral exploration in the Arguemela massif is an environmental crime and against public health, given that the concession “may have exceeded the law.”
“All signs point to the fact that the company is favored and that in the name of this favoritism all laws have been broken over time,” said a BE coordinator during a visit to Barco, in the municipality of Covilhã, a town located near one of the exploration sites.
Recalling that this process took place against the will of the population and that the ecological security and biodiversity of the areas covered in the municipalities of Covilhã and Fundan in the Castelo Branco district could be at risk, Mariana Mortagua said that the project “is to stop” and called other parties comment on this issue.
“The government has bypassed every regulation and every law to get around the requirements to be able to award an exploration project to one company, and the biggest irony is that there is not even a guarantee that there is lithium or other valuable materials on these lands and in this region “, – he said.
In the village, where she listened to the complaints and concerns of nearly a hundred residents, Mariana Mortagua insisted that “this project should never have received government approval.”
“How is it possible that this project has even moved forward? Because he advanced against the laws, against common sense, against the will of the population, against the will of mayors, against the will of the organized community, and there is every reason to stop this project,” the leader of the bloc emphasized.
Mariana Mortagua spoke with representatives of the Serra da Argemela Conservation Group, with the President of the Union of Barco and Cutada Parishes, Vítor Fernandes, as well as with the local population, who said that the consequences of the survey work are already visible, “500 meters”, namely dust.
Vítor Fernández gave Mariana Mortagua a pen and notepad with the Barco logo, asking her to write down the problem and not forget about it after the elections.
In response, the BE coordinator said that there is no need to write so as not to forget, recalling that the party has been monitoring the situation for many years.
“We will do everything in our power to stop this project. Our position is the same when there are elections and when there are no elections,” Mariana Mortagua said, referring to the March 10 legislative elections.
The process of issuing a mining concession to explore for lithium and other minerals in the Argemela massif began in 2011.
A request for a concession was published in 2017, renewed in 2020, covering an area of 403.7 hectares.
On October 28, 2021, an exploration concession contract was signed with Neomia-Minérios Argemela (Almina Group), however, the concessionaire will only be able to begin exploration after receiving a favorable or favorable Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) under certain conditions.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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