The GHK consortium, which is responsible for all urban waste in Gipuzkoa and owner of the Zubieta incinerator, has imposed a fine of EUR 160,000 on the Ekondakin companies association for failure to comply with the administrative orders for channelling the landfill detected in Arkaitzerreka. The GHK Assembly adopted this agreement on Tuesday, 13 December, on the proposal of President José Ignacio Asensio. In the proposal seen by ARGIA, Asensio states that Ekondaki made a serious mistake in his contract with the GHK. They are partners of the Ekondakin business partnership: Meridiam Investsment Fund, multinational Urbaser and cooperatives Altuna and Uria, Murias, Moyua and LKS of the Basque Country.

On 2 September, months after the citizens denounced the existence of a polluting spill in Arkaitzerreka, the Environment Department of the Basque Government asked the GHK to repair the pollution produced in the drainage pipe that collects the sub-incinerated waters, which moved the order to Ekondakin. However, after days and weeks, these corrective measures were still not taken and, in addition, what seems curious, Ekondaki replied that he did not have to implement them.

The failure to comply with the orders of the Administration and the Contractors has now been described by the GHK Directorate as a serious fault and has imposed a fine of EUR 20,000 per day of non-compliance on Ekondakin. It is not clear from the proposal what non-obedience to the GHK is based on in order to limit itself to eight days, a period of eight days which has allowed the fine to be EUR 160,000 and not longer. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the GHK, after denouncing Ekondakin’s obstructive action as a serious fault – which must be described as serious – “tackling and hampering the Administration’s inspection” and “failing to comply with the written orders” – requires, however, the mildest penalty per day, the lowest between EUR 20,000 and 30,000.

The proposal signed by Asensio proves that the spring of the dirty water of Arkaitzerreka consists of the fires that occurred in two waste storage tanks of the incinerator, which as is known were not well waterproofed and which did not have a dirty water evacuation pump during the period supervised by the authorities. It also assumes that, justifying the imposition of the slightest sanction, the discharges have not affected the water quality of Arkaitzerreka.

The GHK, in its proposal to its junters, considers these points to be proven truths, but has not yet provided public information to citizens affected by the pollution of Arkaitzerreka.