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EJOLT Land overexploitation in the quarries of the Fact sheet region in 031

Introduction

Mining The extraction of aggregates and other subsurface minerals as an economic activity generate s significant Keywords environment al impacts – on the local environment and biodiversity, on the > Quarries landscape, on traditional economic > overexploitation activities linked to the land , and on the welfare of people living near these > stone activities. > ecosystem Figure 1: Quarries in Vilanova d'Escornalbou The Baix Camp region of Catalonia is (Source: Joan Pons Solé) characterised by a high concentration of quarries (Figure 1). In the municipality of Background for example, currently around 3.5% of the municipality is occupied by Catalonia in general, and Baix Camp in quarries , with plans to expand activity to particular, contain some geologically cover 11% of the municipality. important areas, where tectonic activity has created numerous roc ky outcrops, The lack of regulation of these activities strong reliefs, folds, faults and other at the municipal level has meant that formations. very often work is carried out without any Figure2: Map of Baix Camp with license and with the absolute complicity Mining in the villages of Baix Camp has current mining activities of government departments responsible been ongoing for several decades. highlighted in orange for e nvironmental control . Moreover, in Some of these quarries have been (Source: Departament de recent years there has been a clash of closed, as la ndscape restoration Territori i Sostenibilitat - interests between these extractive commenced in a few rare cases. activities and other economic initiatives such as rural tourism, the re -launch of Environmental conflict ce rtain agricultural areas, the enhancement of the landscape and the The exploitation of resource mining in protection of the environment. Lower Camp has generated and still generates very significant environmental Other municipalities that are affected by impacts. These can be summarized as: Figure 3: Proposed quarry site in these activities in Baix Camp are, for • Baix Camp where residents are example, Duesaigues, l’Argentera, Alteration of the landscape and strongly opposed , , Vilanova its values • (Source: Joan Pons Solé) d’Escornalbou, , Impact noise around the Territori i Sostenibilitat - Montroig del Cam p, Montbrió del Camp, quarries • , V inyols, , l'Aleixar, In creased movement of heavy , (Figure 2). vehicles on the rural roads in the area • In summary, a large majority of Emissions of dust • municipalities in the region have Alteration of habitats of natural quarries, quarries that provide income areas that act as ecological for taxes, but that generate corridors environmental externalities. These environmental effects have often Figure 4: Banner of opposition to been minimized in environmental impact a new quarry Argentera (Source: Joan Pons Solé)

This document should be cited as: Pons Sole, Joan. 2015. Land overexploitation in the quarries of the Baix Camp region in Catalonia , EJOLT Factsheet No. 31, 2 p.

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studies submitted by the operating promise of jobs and investment by the companies, with the approval of municipality are no longer enough to environmental agency in Catalonia. ensure the accept ance of another proposed qua rry. Different organizations and platforms, environmental associations and Ce rtainly something has changed in the neighbourhood groups have expressed political and social perception of quarries their opposition to the proliferation of in Baix Camp , especially in the case of more quarries in the area b ecause of its the town of Riudecols where municipal environmental impacts (Figures 3 and planners have agreed to stop the 4). In fact, opposition to these projects is proliferation of new quarries or increasing, but political pressure has extensions to existing quarries. Here it is been mobilised to delegitimize these clearly understood that the acceptable opposition movements. number of quarries has been exceeded, and that the people cannot withstand the Social conflict negative impacts associated with these In addition to the environmental impacts economic activities. of the projects, social conflict is increasing . The opposition movements in quarries in Baix Camp are growing to the extent that now almost every new project, or attempt to expand an existing one, faces some sort of opposition.

These reactions have been a surprise to the region around the quarries, as residents had always accepted the quarries with tolerance and resignation. Municipal politicians and political processes that had until recently enjoyed much stability, have now bee n overwhelmed by situation frequently More on this case characterised by violence. DEFENTERRA website (Spanish) Past ‘normal’ procedures of quarry http://defenterra.galeon.com/ installation and conditions of complete No quarry at Escornalbou operational freedom by mining https://www.facebook.com/groups/187886 companies are now a thing of the past. 098950/ One of the most prominent social This publication was develope d as a reactions occurred in the municipality of part of the project Environmental Alveolus website (Spanish) Justice Organisations, Liabilities and l’ Argentera. In this municipality a http://alveolus.cat/ Trade (EJOLT) (FP7-Science in company plans to install a quarry in an Gepec website (Spanish) Society-2010-1, under grant area of special natural interest, close to agreement no 266642). The views http://gepec.cat/show_new.php?id=6 and opinions expressed in all EJOLT the Castle of Escornalbou (the main publications reflect the authors’ view historic place in the region) , significantly and the Eur opean Union is not liable affecting the landscape and historic for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. roads in the area. Critical of the project, EJOLT aims to improve policy a strong movement has temporarily responses to and support halt ed it, generating debate not only in collaborative research and action on the town , but in the entire region. environmental conflicts through capacity building of environmental justi ce groups around the world. Although local politicians have Visit our free resource library and cons istently tried to discredit the database at www.ejolt.org or Facebook (www.facebook.com/ejolt) movement and h ide information from the or follow tweets (@EnvJustice) to public, the people understand that such stay current on latest news and a project would generate many more events. negative impacts than benefits. The