Acuifer Huerta de las Pilas - San Bernabe - Algeciras- Andalucia - Spain

1. Colectivo Ornitológico Cigüeña Negra
Huerta de Las Pilas Lagoon
and neighbouring water
springs of San Bernabé
Algeciras
(Strait of Gibraltar)

2. GIBRALTAR
ALGECIRAS
HUERTA DE LAS PILAS LAGOON

3. Migratory bird
crossing point

4. MINING
AREA

5. Gibraltar
Algeciras
1
2
3
Mining areas

6. Nuevo Mirador Stadium
1
2
Lagoon
3

7. Residential area
Huerta de las Pilas Lagoon
1
Mining area in the eighties.
After the watertable emerged, the hole was back filled and
covered. Today, the residential area of Huerta de las Pilas takes
up this area.

8. Nuevo Mirador Stadium
1
2
Lagoon
3

9. 2SECOND EXTRACTION: today, Lagoon Huerta de las Pilas

10. Nuevo Mirador Stadium
1
2
Lagoon
3

11. 3
THIRD MINERAL EXTRACTION:
ATTEMPT TO STOP WATER SPRINGS

12. ¿ANOTHER URBANIZATION PROJECT AT AN
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE?

13. AQUIFER SYSTEM PALMONES- GUADARRANQUE
GIBRALTAR
ALLUVIAL AQUIFER OF
BOTAFUEGOS

14. GROUNDWATER POLLUTION HAZARD
Huerta de Las Pilas Lagoon
SE
NW
Sand and sandy biolimestone
Sandstone
Groundwater

15. 1
Quarry in the 80’s:
The new lagoon disappeared
when the area was backfilled
Huerta de Las Pilas Lagoon
x
EIA (Environmental
EIA (Environmental
Impact Assessment)
Impact Assessment)
Directive 85/337/CEE
Directive 85/337/CEE
2
Environmental Impact
Environmental Impact
Statement 2003
Statement 2003
¡¡¡there has been a lagoon
¡¡¡there has been a lagoon
in the area since 2002!!!
in the area since 2002!!!
Attempt to stop
water springs
3
x
EIA (Environmental
EIA (Environmental
Impact Assessment)
Impact Assessment)
Directive 85/337/CEE
Directive 85/337/CEE
ACTIVITY:
ACTIVITY:
MINING
MINING

16. IMAGE
Date: 30th JUNE 2003
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT:
5th JULY 2003
MINERAL EXTRACTION¿CUT-AND-FILL WITH SIMULTANEOUS RESTORATION?

17. 2
0
0
8
FAPACSA REPORTS THESE FACTS TO THE EUROPEAN
COMISSION BUT WITH NO RESULT

18. FOR YEARS, THE LAGOON WAS USED AS A CLANDESTINE RUBBISH
DUMP, WHICH INCREASED THE RISK OF GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

19. ALBERO DE LA BAHÍA TRIED TO LEGALISE THIS SITUATION BY WRITING OUT
A PRE-PROJECT TO LOCATE A RUBBISH DUMP IN THE AREA
JANUARY
2011
2

20. MARCH 2011 THE EUROPEAN
COMISSION DID NOT ANSWER
OUR QUESTION

21. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF SPANISH AUTHORITIES?
TO FILL THE LAGOON
TO BUILD A NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

22. TODAY THE URBANIZATION IS PARALYSED
THANKS TO CITIZEN PRESSURE
BUT THE AREA STILL LACKS OFICIAL PROTECTION

23. D
RTE
O
REP
1. Ombudsman
2. Spanish Department for Environment
3. Municipality of Algeciras
4. Economy, Innovation and Science
Andalusian Council
5. Environment Andalusian Council
6. Andalusian Water Agency
-
7. ENVIRONMENTAL PROSECUTION
SERVICE
ALGECIRAS
FILED AWAY

24. Oficial institutions pass the buck to one another.
Also, they are constantly changing names,
which definately confuses the citizens.

25. Europe
Spain

26. 2013
ALBERO DE LA BAHIA (DEVELOPER)
WANTS TO MODIFY THE RESTORATION PLAN IMPOSED BY
AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OF
2003, WHICH WAS NEVER CARRIED OUT
AND WHICH EXPIRED IN 2010
?????????????????

27. 2013
THE EUROPEAN COMISSION HAS DRAWN THE CONCLUSION
THAT THERE IS NO BREACH OF THE PROJECT
¿WHY, THEN, AREN’T WE GIVEN THE REQUESTED
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL
MONITORING PROGRAM?
WE THINK IT IS BECAUSE
IT DOESN’T EXIST
BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMMENT
WAS PASSED A POSTERIORI, WHEN THE EXTRACTION HAD
ALREADY STARTED AND THE LAGOON HAD ALREADY
APPEARED…

28. This is the policy…
Developer
Citizens
Environment

29. THERE ARE NO SAFETY MEASURES

30. THERE NEVER WAS SUCH A
THING AS AN AIR QUALITY
CONTROL SYSTEM:

31. 2013
DUMPING
WAS NEVER
CONTROLLED

32. HUNDREDS OF NATIVE TREES WERE
CUT DOWN
AND
NOT EVEN ONE WAS PLANTED

33. “WATER IS LIFE”?
YES,
BUT NOT IN THE
STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

34. SINCE 1988
¡Be careful!
Irresponsible people
working

35. THE EUROPEAN COMISSION OMITS OUR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE INFRACTION
OF AARHUS CONVENTION, DIRECTIVE 2000/60/CE AND DIRECTIVE 2004/35/CE.
THE COMISSION ONLY MENTIONS DIRECTIVE 92/43/CEE, WHICH IS ALSO BEING
VIOLATED AS THE MINING AREAS ARE ADJACENT TO NATURA 2000 SITES.
LAGOON

36. .
Water is a human right
THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR IS ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT BIRD MIGRATION CORRIDORS
IN THE WORLD. BIRDS, LIKE US, NEED WATER
-NOT CONCRETE - TO SURVIVE.
WE INVITE ALL EURODEPUTIES AND MEMBERS OF THE
EUROPEAN COMISSION TO VISITE THE STRAIT OF
GIBRALTAR TO CHECK BY THEMSELVES THE PROBLEMS
THAT ARE AFFECTING BOTH CITIZENS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT IN SUCH A GLOBAL WAY.

37. SOS Coastal Wetlands in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar