According to public information published by the Basque Water Agency in the Official Gazette of Gipuzkoa on 4 May, the GHK has presented a new project for water contaminated by the incinerator in Arkaitzerreka in Zubieta.

Thus, it intends to build a tank of 150 cubic meters of capacity that, if there were a flow of 1 liter per second, would be filled in 40 hours and then pump its water to the sanitation network of Zurriola. But "if there is not yet a discharge permit", says the publication, and if there are "doubts" with the leachate, the plan B of those responsible for the incinerator would be to remove the water in tankers to be treated externally.

If, on the contrary, the water did not have "signs" of contamination, they would return directly to the Arkaitz stream.

Anchor SOS: "Those alternatives must disappear"

AnclSOS denounced that "we are facing a lack of purpose" and pointed out that the Environment Deputy in Gipuzkoa himself, José Igancio Asensio, acknowledged in the General Meetings that the Zubieta incinerator had filtration problems.

In November last year, the GHK published a new project to pump water directly into the Zurriola sanitation network, which would completely dry out Arkaitzerreka, but which was rejected by "administrative silence", according to this association.

With the current project, the GHK "is acknowledging the existence of contamination", explained AnclSOS, and considers that it is not acceptable for the incinerator "investigated for ecological crime" to decide whether to pour water to Zurriola or directly to Oria. "These alternatives must disappear to protect the environment and the health of the users of beaches and estuaries."