"Iberdrola wants to take over the native lungs of the Basque Country to expand its business"
- Montes Libres de Álava denounced in its hearing on December 28 the "illegal, illegitimate and unfair way of managing the processing of wind power plants in our territory". As for the wind power plants of the Montes de Vitoria and Labraza, it has continued: "The Deputy General, Ramiro González, has made no objection to Iberdrola. In fact, Iberdrola, through the company Aixeindar (with public participation), wants to become aware of the native forests of our territory lungs of the Basque Country to expand its business". Finally, the following message is sent: "We are committed to life, to the decentralization of decisions, to the conservation of nature and biodiversity in rural areas and to local projects based on the dispersed generation that are not based on business growth. Renewables do, but they don't."
Montes Libres de Álava recalls that the deadline for submitting claims to the Montes de Vitoria and Labraza project is open: "The media report the existence of the approval for the construction of these plants, although the deadline for claims has not yet been finalised and has not been resolved. They consider us fools! We do not accept it! ".
Impacts on project biodiversity
Despite the environmental authorization granted, Montes Libres de Álava has stressed that the project will cause damage: "They recognize serious and very serious damage to the fauna, especially for highly protected rapacious birds such as the real eagle, the Bonelli eagle, the real milano, the quebrantabones and the leonado vulture. In addition, the installation area of the wind turbines is considered critical for the white vulture, due to the existence of a nest less than 10 km away, and the closer the nests of white aguilucho, cauldron eagle, gavilan and azor.
It is recognized as an important passage of migratory birds. It also affects bats, habitats of priority community interest of indigenous vegetation and flora and forests, as their high degree of impact would require compensatory measures with planting and recovery of twice the affected area. As if a mature forest could be created elsewhere, once the original was destroyed."
Montes Libres de Álava requests the resignation of the Deputy General, Ramiro González: "Under no circumstances do these projects comply with the requirements for conservation of the territory. The pressure from the Member General has been crucial for the Environment Department's forale technicians to make this report public. Given the gravity of the issue and the natural poliation it entails, we call for the resignation of Ramiro González and call for the paralysis of the wind power plants of the Vitoria and Labraza Mountains".
Councils against these plans
Montes Libres de Álava recalls the opposition of the councils affected by the following plans: "It is very serious that the Provincial Council of Álava or the Basque Government do not take into account the advice of the councils. The people who live in the villages ignore us, hide our decisions and walk us. We do not accept it! ".
With the message "Renewables yes, but so no" the Free Mountains of Álava have closed the hearing and called a rally for January 14 (18:00 in the Plaza de la Provincia de Vitoria): "We are committed to life, to the decentralization of decisions, to the conservation of nature and biodiversity in rural areas and to local projects based on dispersed generation, which are not based on business growth".
Environmental activist Mikel Álvarez has produced an exhaustive critical report on the wind macro-power plants that Repsol and Endesa intend to build in the vicinity of Arano and Hernani of the region. In his opinion, this is "the largest infrastructure of this kind that is... [+]
