Red Eléctrica stops soundings in a protected area of Alcudia in full nesting season

PalmaA Ministry of Environment agent ordered this Tuesday the suspension of soundings that a company subcontracted by Red Eléctrica was carrying out in the Maristany area, in Alcudia, considering that the actions could violate the restrictions in force during the bird nesting period.

As reported by the Association for a New Agreement for the Alcudia Cable (ANACA) and confirmed by the Balearic Government, the Ministry of Environment services have drawn up an infringement report upon finding that the work was being carried out within the nesting period, which remains in force until next July 31.

The action occurred after a resident alerted about the presence of sounding material in an area integrated into the Natura 2000 Network. Faced with this situation, ANACA reported the facts to both the Civil Guard and the Government. According to the residents' association, the Ministry of Environment agent verified that the authorization granted allowed actions in the protected area only outside the nesting period, which covers the months of March to July.

For its part, Red Eléctrica has complied with the order for temporary suspension of work and has attributed the situation to an "interpretative discrepancy" regarding the conditions of the administrative authorization. The company explained that the soundings began on Monday under a favorable authorization that included a condition related to the possible impact on certain bird species present in the area. According to the company, it had a report prepared by an independent company that concluded that there was no nesting of species or impact on their reproductive cycles. For this reason, it considered that the condition established in the authorization was being met.

Red Eléctrica has assured that the work will not resume until this discrepancy is clarified by the competent administrations. The planned soundings consisted of three boreholes in the Maristany area with the objective, according to the company, of verifying the absence of environmental impacts on the protected space and validating the terrestrial route agreed for the second electricity link with the Peninsula, which emerged from the working group of the protocol signed between administrations, residents, and Red Eléctrica.

Despite this, ANACA has criticized the start of the works and has recalled that the project does not yet have the definitive administrative authorization from the Council of Ministers. Furthermore, the association has highlighted that the surveys were carried out only twelve days after the Alcúdia City Council urged the Spanish government not to make any definitive decision on the route until pending issues are resolved.