PROPERTY SEARCH
Opposition to Mazarrón Biogas plant escalates to legal action
An open meeting is planned to address the legal option aimed at halting biogas plant proposed near numerous residential areas
What started as a wave of signatures on a petition against the planned biogas plant in Mazarrón is now moving toward the courts. With the project proposed less than a kilometre from the boundary of the Camposol urbanisation, locals say enough is enough.
More than 2,000 people have already backed the petition and over 400 formal objections have been lodged with the Murcia regional authorities. But campaigners are not convinced that the administrative route alone will be enough to stop the facility.
After meetings with lawyers, some of whom successfully blocked similar plants in the Lorca area, the option of launching legal challenges is firmly on the table.
To clarify the position, an open meeting has been called for 9am on Friday September 12 outside Oscar's and Dixie's Bar on the Sector B commercial centre. A lawyer will be present to explain the process and answer questions from concerned residents.
It should be stressed that this meeting is open to everyone, whether or not they live in Camposol and Condado de Alhama.
What the plans involve and why opposition is so strong
The project was officially published in the Murcia regional bulletin (BORM) on July 4. It has since sparked strong opposition from Camposol residents and businesses, the local PSOE party and environmental group Ecologists in Action.
According to Ecologists in Action, the proposed biomethane and biofertilizer plant "aims to produce liquid and solid fertilizer and biomethane gas from waste, with a treatment capacity of 196,000 tonnes of waste per year, approximately 540 tonnes per day. The maximum capacity would be 316,160 tonnes per year."
The group also warned of the "risks of these mega biogas plants," including "air pollution, unpleasant odours, leachate, soil and aquifer contamination, excessive water consumption and heavy vehicle traffic in the area."
Their report clearly highlights that the plant could generate traffic from 74 HGVs a day, to say nothing of the potential impact of leaks or accidents.
Water supply is another sticking point, since the facility would require significant volumes in an area where residents already face low pressure and shortages that sometimes make it impossible to run hot water heaters.
The chosen site is also close to key residential and leisure areas. The southern edge of one of the land parcels is just 890 metres from Camposol’s boundary and less than two kilometres from the Camposol Medical Centre. The Condado de Alhama Golf Resort sits only three kilometres to the north.
With tensions rising, organisers are urging residents, homeowners and anyone concerned about the project to attend Friday’s meeting. It will be a key opportunity to hear directly from a legal expert about how the community can fight back.
To sign the petition to protest against the building of the Camposol biomethane plant, you can do so online via this link to change.org
