Arantxa Tapia, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, announced in the Waste Management Roadmap last week the reopening of the Artxanda landfill. 1,200,000 tonnes per year of non-hazardous waste, with fibrocement storage cells and closure by 2030. The Bai platform of the Artxanda Park has shown its “surprise” over the construction of the “largest industrial waste dump in Bizkaia” where the metropolitan park would be built since 2006.

“Awe and anger” within the platform and denounce the lack of information: “The platform has requested clear and transparent information from the Basque Government, the City Council of Bilbao, the City Hall of Sondika and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, as well as a democratic debate on the future of Artxanda, waste management, location and type of waste to be dumped. And he has only received silence and empty words.” They also accuse the City Hall of not putting “urban rules that satisfy the feelings of the citizens”. The allegations submitted to the Bizkaia Partial Territorial Plan, which is being revised according to the citizen platform, are not taken into account. The population of Bilbao is considered “the most affected”.

The landfill in Artxanda has been contaminated with lindane since 1986 and pollutes the Asua and Nervión rivers, according to data from the Bai. This decontamination is expected from 2030 after the 2030 closure presented as a “pill”. “We have to swallow with this pill and thus believe in the abundance of this roadmap, rather than as a possible reality, due to the current state of waste generation. How can it go from 1,200,000 tons/year to 0 tons/year in 2030?” the platform questioned.

Following the disaster at the Zaldibar landfill, Minister Arantxa Tapia announced the installation of a discharge fee to boost recycling. However, this fee is not yet in place. Along with this complaint, the platform for the Artxanda Park will continue to organise initiatives to help advance the Metropolitan Park.

Better situation

Juan Mari Aburto defended the landfill in an interview in the Basque Country: “The landfill that was opened until 1976 will be recovered, existing waste sorted and shipped to other landfills. Inert waste shall be from construction. Afterwards, the space will be recovered, closed and naturalized. Then the situation will be better than the present”. He clarifies that all the projects in Artxanda, including the Metropolitan Park.