Local opposition to the PREMIA was squashed today

PP and Vox reject revoking the Premia of the Cáceres mine and the PSOE abstains

Unidas has presented a proposal for a boost in the Assembly of Extremadura

Plenary session of the Assembly of Extremadura, today. / EP

Eduardo Villanueva

EFE

Caceres / Merida 04 JUL 2024 17:04 Updated 04 JUL 2024 17:56

The declaration of the mining project in Valdeflórez continues to cause controversy. If yesterday, groups such as Salvemos la Montaña (and also the local PSOE) criticised the mayor of Cáceres , Rafael Mateos, for not having presented objections to this declaration, which has already been published in the Official Journal of Extremadura (DOE), now, the matter has reached the regional chamber.

Criticism of the mayor of Cáceres for not speaking out against the PREMIA resolution on the mine

The Extremadura Assembly has rejected, with the votes of PP and Vox , a proposal by Unidas por Extremadura to urge the Junta to revoke the granting of the Premia declaration (business project of regional interest) to the mining project of the Sierra de la Mosca in Cáceres.

The initiative, in which the PSOE abstained , also called for the environmental impact study to be declared non-compliant in light of the "enormous" number of objections presented to the project.

«Serious threat»

For Unidas, the lithium mine in the Sierra de la Mosca will pose "a serious threat" to both the flora and fauna of an enclave "with enormous ecological value", as well as to the tourism sector as an economic driver in the city, in addition to leading to "an irreversible deterioration in the quality of life of the citizens of Cáceres", according to the explanatory statement of the proposal.

The declaration of Premia means speeding up the administrative procedures of the project and public aid for employment to the promoter Castilla Mining, a subsidiary of Extremadura New Energies (ENE), something that for Unidas is equivalent to "rolling out the red carpet for its implementation."