Ministry waives environmental impact study for water supply works

    In what the government has said is an effort to speed up the works connecting the Carboneras desalination plant to local towns the Ministry of the Environment has waived the normal environmental impact evaluation that is a legal requirement in large scale public works. The ministry considers that the measures taken in the project guarantee its 'maximum environmental viability' according to the official state bulletin (BOE). The works in question involve the connections from the 'Carboneras-Valle del Almanzora, Fase I' pipeline, which is now complete, to the water storage deposits managed by the water company GALASA supplying Cuevas del Almanzora, Garrucha, Mojacar and Vera. These connections consist of a total of 27 kilometres of pipelines and the most sensitive area they have to pass through is the so called LIC (Lugar de Interes Comunitario – site of community interest) in the Sierra Cabrera, home to several protected species. To avoid the impact of the works there the pipes are to follow the routes of existing roads and tracks. This second phase of works, finalising the supply of drinking water from the desalination plant, is expected to be completed within twelve months.