Ibiza has already tendered the transfer of waste awaiting Mallorca to sign the agreement

PalmaThe Consell d'Eivissa has already tendered and awarded the waste transfer and is awaiting the Consell de Mallorca to definitively sign the agreement. This is confirmed by sources from the island institution to ARA Balears. They explain that the service has been awarded to UTE GIREF, which manages the Ca na Putxa waste plant, in compliance with the additional provision that allows the pilot plan to be initiated, which was definitively approved with the Omnibus Law.

The transfer of waste from Ibiza to Mallorca will be carried out within the framework of a pilot plan initially planned for two years, although the drafting of the agreement does not set a time limit for the operation. In fact, the Consell d'Eivissa admits that it is enabled to implement it until the Sectoral Master Plan for waste management on the island of Ibiza comes into effect. The institution does not clarify what deadlines it has in mind to finalize it. They detail that the drafting has already been awarded, with a contract worth 168,836.72 euros to the company PW Advisory & Capital Services, S.L. Despite this, sources from the insular presidency of Vicent Marí insist that the Consell's priority right now is "the execution of the pilot plan".

As can be seen from the agreement file and as reported by ARA Balears, the Consell de Mallorca has lowered the environmental requirements for waste transport after Ibiza requested it, arguing that it did not have the technical capacity to send the tons of waste in shrink-wrapped bales, as an study required. For this reason, it will be admitted that part of the waste will be sent in bulk, which may increase the risk of leaks and bad odors, as established in an initial report. However, the same sources from the Consell d'Eivissa insist that "as a general rule" the transfer "will not be done in bulk", but "punctually, as a test within the framework of the pilot plan".

10 million euros reserved

The Consell de Mallorca has assured that the operation will not entail expenses for the institution of Mallorca. The reason is that Eivissa will be responsible for the land and sea transport of the waste and, in addition, will pay a fee for each ton of waste that enters Mallorca. The Consell d'Eivissa currently has about 10 million euros set aside to meet this expense.

However, the justificatory report of the agreement acknowledges that the use of Mallorca's facilities may entail a cost of up to 17,237,380 euros during the two years planned for the import of waste, in matters such as the wear and tear of the Son Reus waste treatment plant. The Government allocated a subsidy of 50 million euros to the Consell de Mallorca precisely to mitigate the expenses associated with the use of the infrastructures. Thus, even though the Consell de Mallorca does not have to make any financial contribution, the operation will consume resources and infrastructures.