In Arrasate/Mondragón, take the road to the port of Kanpanzar and on the right is the district of Meatzerreka. It is a population of about 50 neighbours who, over the years, have developed various economic activities. The attendees included three quarries, the landfill where the Arrasate variant was built, the landfill of urban waste and the incinerator. The skeleton of the Civasa factory is still standing in the Meatzerreka stream. With the aim of recovering the natural heritage and reversing the damage caused by all of them, municipal officials have decided to protect the neighborhood.

Councillor for the Environment, Josu Pereda, pointed out that “in recent decades in Arrasate all forces have focused on industrial activity, the creation of road and communications networks and the construction of housing. The environment has been completely forgotten.” The City Council has therefore prepared a special plan, together with the Besaide mountain group, the Naturtzainak association, Arrasate Zientzia Elkartea and the Oinatzak knowledge and science association of the past. Several areas of the locality have been designated as special protection, and one of the areas of activity is the Meatzerreka district. Neighbours have asked for it many times.

The City Council has reduced the area of land for economic activity and has acquired a three-hectare plot that previously belonged to the Akei landfill, next to the San Baleixo hermitage. Pereda tells us that they want to create a breathing space with tables and information panels. “The area will be at peace, there will be no economic activity and it will be a space for the neighbors and for all the Mondragonese.”

On 21 February, Tree Day was celebrated to help regenerate the forest on the plot acquired by the City Hall and several nogales and chestnuts were planted. Another quote for the auzolan is on February 28, convened by Naturtzainak, the Subai Berri association and the Besaide mountain range association, to plant some 500 oak trees, as the oak tree is the natural tree of the Meatzerreka River.

Lack of high quality water and sanitation

Within the natural heritage of the Meatzerreka River is the spring of Bernardas. It is one of the springs of Udalatx, and 10% of the water consumption of Arrasate is supplied by it. The Councillor for the Environment stressed that, despite the presence of this water, the villages of the Meatzerreka River do not have sanitation, which will be another project facing the neighborhood: “Most farmhouses in the mining area, either do not have a septic well, or are 30 years old.”

Pereda explained that this lack of sanitation contaminates the Beneras spring: “By itself, water is of very good quality, but it’s full of bacteria. To be drinkable, you have to give him chlorine.”

Real road to Elorrio

The first steps for the implementation of sanitation in the mining regatta will be carried out with the recovery of the real road. This road, formerly, was the first part of the main road from Arrasate to Elorrio, and formerly the land in this section was provided by the City Hall to facilitate access to the Civasa factory. Josu Pereda informs us about the recovery of the road and the incorporation of the sanitation collector.

The road to be recovered was part of the real road linking Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. In fact, the word “road” is believed to come from the real road, and 200 years ago were the main roads, wide. Neighbours and the mountaineers’ association have repeatedly called for this 150 metre high road to be restored. In fact, there is now no possibility of walking from the centre of Arrasate to the Meatzerreka River: “To walk to the neighborhood you have to go by road and it’s very dangerous.”