After the publication this Thursday of the report of the Galician Cultural Council, critical of the possible effects of the possible Altri textile fiber factory in Palas de Rei, the Minister of Economy and Industry, Maria Jesus Lorenzanayesterday defended the work of Xunta technicians, whose reports are those that “legally count.”
“The rest are more or less official or unofficial opinions,” he added, after stressing that the European Commission had also “ratified the Xunta criteria” on the power of the environmental assessment law and the autonomous government to clarify problems. environmental impact through technical reports which are currently being carried out. While waiting to know the conclusions of these analyses, some already public through the media, the minister asked for “patience”.
Immediately afterwards, Lorenzana addressed directly the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, whom he asked to Stop the “punishment of Galician industrial projects” and go “directly” to the Xunta. “They should stop sending and hiding behind messengers, like the Government delegate who, with his best intentions, responded this Thursday to a series of absolutely inaccurate things, with a clear and absolute ignorance of a specific file because he did not know it.” You have to know this, because you have no industrial competence of any kind,” criticized the head of Economy and Industry.
Galicia “discriminating”
Regarding Altri’s criticism, Lorenzana criticized the Spanish government for the situation of “discrimination” suffered by Galicia and its industrial projects, since Single aid is not being processed that the European Commission must authorise because they do not have an environmental assessment, while other projects in the Region of Murcia and the Valencian Community receive them even though they have not had said assessment.
“They lie, they punish and discriminate against Galicia and all Galician citizens. They are condemning the use of Galicia and they must give an answer,” concluded the head of Economy and Industry.
In addition, he highlighted the assessment of the European Commission, which on Thursday denied the violation of the directives that regulate the assessment of polluting substances in the Portuguese multinational’s project. A response from the European body to the question registered by BNG MP Ana Miranda. The Commission finds “no infringement” of the Industrial Emissions Directive or the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive at this early stage of the procedure.
An “environmental bomb”
However, the leader of the nationalists, Ana Pontonhas once again attacked the Altri project, defending the report of the Galician Cultural Council, which “confirms what the broad social sectors and the BNG itself have denounced.”
“The project to install a macrocellulose would be an environmental bomb with damage to our future,” insisted Pontón, who also defended the trajectory of the authors of the study after the popular deputies pointed out that Experts are interested in a “clear political motivation”. Finally, he cited some of the study’s conclusions, such as the need for more eucalyptus cellulose, ignoring other aspects such as maintaining the quality of the water used by the plant or air quality parameters.
