There is no wind farm at the moment, on Mt. Ezkeltzu between Usurbil and Zizurkil
- The wind farm project, which was planned to be built in Ezkeltzu, will not be implemented for the time being. In February 2022, the intention to build a wind farm in Ezkeltzu was known. From that point on, the subject has taken a journey, but at the moment it seems that the project will not go ahead. At least this has been communicated to the City of Usurbil by the Basque Government in a resolution published on 19 November.
It has decided to “declare the dossier expired and complete”, announcing the “file of the proceedings”. Accordingly, the Basque Government has decided “to waive the resolution of 4 April 2022, which resolves the concurrence procedure”. However, as the aforementioned entity has warned, “this decision does not put an end to the administrative procedure and, against it, Appeal of Alzada may be filed”.
Accidental tour
As mentioned, we were aware of this project in February 2022. The company Green Capital Development requested on 24 January of that year “prior administrative authorization” for the construction of the wind farm in Ezkeltzu. A little more than two months later, on 4 April, the Basque Government chose the aforementioned company’s preliminary draft and “was given a period of six months” to submit the necessary documentation. Thus, on May 30, the company Green Capital requested the “elaboration of a document on the scope of the environmental impact” of this wind farm. This document was resolved by the Basque Government on 12 September. Shortly thereafter, on September 28, the company requested the extension of the “time limit for requesting prior administrative authorization” of the project. The Basque Government decided to extend this period until 12 January 2023. At the end of this period, on 11 January “presented among others the basic project and the environmental impact study” but soon after, on 17 January, it requested “the temporary cessation of its processing, in the light of the detection of possible interference with air safety”, at least until the State Aviation Safety Agency gave its opinion on the matter.
On 20 February, after the expiry of the period and the extension period, “by not submitting the required documentation in its entirety”, the company Green Capital was required to submit such documentation. Shortly thereafter, on 2 March, the company “undertook to submit the mandatory report of the annual monitoring campaign for poultry and kiroropterofauna” by the end of May last year.
After a year without being aware of this, in June of this year the company reiterated its commitment to send this report to the Territorial Delegation of Industrial Administration of Gipuzkoa, which presented it on 18 June. Three days later, he was asked to “restart the administrative authorization, previously informing him that after three months without complying with the request, he would declare the procedure expired and would consider his request to be withdrawn”. The Basque Government has given it the deadline until 31 October, so that it can carry out this procedure. But Green Capital did not meet that time. Consequently, “the deadlines granted, without requiring the resumption of the dossier, should be deemed to have expired”.
The project to build the wind farm in Ezkeltzu, for the time being, is not a step forward.
Warning of damage
In Ezkeltzu, the construction of four 200-metre wind turbines each was planned. The popular platform Andatza-Ezkeltzu Bizirik was created to warn of the damage that this could cause and paralyze the project. With the theme, among other things, he organized a tour to the area in June 2023. During the visit, they denounced that the wind farm could jeopardize "the natural and cultural heritage we want to protect". In fact, this facility was designed in a space that is considered "of great landscape and cultural value".
"The initiative would bring great landslides, cement and broad tracks in our mountains, among other serious damages," added the Department of Security. They said it would endanger biodiversity and harm local livestock. In addition, these mills "generate infrared that extend miles away", which, according to the platform, can be the cause of some long-term illnesses. The wind farm could also jeopardize the local historical memory, as the area is within the Saseta Defense System of the 1936 war. Excavations in 2021 documented “over 3,000 elements”.
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