Neighbors and GOB take waste transfer to court: "It makes no sense to bring it from Ibiza here"

PalmaThe neighborhoods of Son Sardina and La Garriga are in the zero zone for waste treatment in Mallorca. From the rooftops, the Son Reus incinerator plant is perfectly visible, 3.5 kilometers away in a straight line: they suffer from the smells and the acid clouds that appear in the sky from time to time. This Tuesday they have raised their voices against the plans of the Consell de Mallorca to expand the plant's production with waste coming from Ibiza. "From an environmental point of view, it makes no sense to have waste in Ibiza, put it in a truck, a boat, send it to the port of Palma, and transport it by road to here," protests Joan Mateos, spokesperson for the Sa Garriga Neighborhood Association.

Together with a dozen neighborhood and environmental organizations, they have announced the filing of an administrative contentious appeal against the agreement reached by the two island institutions, the content of which was advanced by ARA Balears. "The transfer from Ibiza increases the impacts of incineration," explains GOB spokesperson Aina Llauger. She highlights that the master plan for waste management foresaw that, if not used within a certain period, two furnaces would be closed: "If we now add Ibiza's waste, its life is extended." She adds that waste from Ibiza burns worse, because "Ibiza's selective collection is more deficient than ours." Furthermore, she regrets that the Consell de Mallorca has lowered the environmental requirement to receive all waste in shrink-wrapped bales and now accepts importing it in bulk.

"They are disguising as a pilot test something that it is not"

Mateos highlights the fact that Mallorca has not set an end date for the pilot test for the transfer of waste from Ibiza. "They are disguising as a pilot test something that is not: a tender of 2.7 million euros is being made, extendable annually, up to a maximum of 24 million euros," he argues. Thus, he calls for alternatives to manage waste after the closure of Ibiza's landfill, Ca na Putxa, because it is reaching its useful life. Otherwise, the neighbors warn, this import is a precedent: Menorca's landfill could also fail.

The spokesperson for the Association of Neighbors of Son Sardina, Àngela Fernández, has lamented that neither the Consell de Mallorca nor the Palma City Council have informed them about the transfer procedure. She assures that they have made requests through the transparency portal and have not received any response. She calls for a "citizen participation process" to comment on the transfer and for the 50 million euros that the Government has allocated to the Consell de Mallorca to cover the import expenses to be allocated to "door-to-door collection programs in Ibiza and Formentera".

Support from PSIB and MÉS

The PSIB and MÉS per Mallorca have expressed support for the residents in two statements. Socialist councilor Juana Adrover has considered that "the residents of Son Sardina and environmental organizations are completely right when they demand guarantees and transparency". "No waste transfer can be authorized without ensuring that the environment will not be harmed, that there will be no risks to health, and that citizens will be able to participate in decisions," she assured.

The spokesperson for MÉS on the Council, Catalina Inés Perelló, has considered that "the judicialization of this file is the direct consequence of a way of governing based on opacity, improvisation, and an absolute lack of respect for procedures and for citizens".