This is an environmental justice conflict taking place in Montcada i Reixac, near Barcelona, with complaints from civil society organizations against the Lafarge cement factory (owned by Holcim). Lafarge Cementos is a cement company that acquired the factory that was first established in Montcada i Reixac in 1917. In 2007, the company asked for permission to burn waste as part of the fuel mix to power the kilns in the cement plant (which as alleged by environmental groups causes a risk of emissions with toxic components dangerous to human health). The company denied and denies such risks. The permission for co-incineration was granted on the 4th of August 2008 and started from June 2010. Since then, opposition to the ‘new co-incinerator’ grew. People living nearby organized themselves in a platform of more than 50 groups which have been demanding to stop the waste burning. They organized meetings, workshops, demonstrations and they brought the company and the town council before the courts. The newspaper La Vanguardia (the main center-right Catalan newspaper) reported on 17 February 2014 about citizen mobilization and a macrofestival to demand the closure of the Factory. Academic research has also shown, in line with claims from civil society organizations, how health risk is often associated with co-incineration. Javier García-Pérez et al. (2015) shows significant increase of certain types of cancers closed to cement factories. In September 2013, the Highest Court of Justice in Catalonia cancelled the company's environmental permission on technicalities, namely, irregularities during the application process: it was alleged by activists that the EIA report was approved the very same day it was presented when it is necessary to leave 30 days between presenting an EIA and approving it, to allow allegations from civil society groups. The company has appealed and the appeal has been accepted by the Supreme Court of Catalunya. The case is pending, and in the meantime the plant continues operations legally.

Location

Montcada i Reixac (Barcelona), Catalunya, Spain

Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/MontcadaiReixac

Environmental impact

  • Air pollution

Ethical/ legal issues

  • Health and well-being

Information sources & materials

Scientific/ academic journal papers

  • Documentary on Barcelonas air quality broadcasted by Spanish TV channel RTVE. From the minute 14:30 the case of Montcada i Reixac is explained.(In Spanish) http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/el-escarabajo-verde/escarabajo-verde-aire-respiras/1613468/

  • Article about the formation of dioxines from domestic waste incineration: McKay, G. (2002). Dioxin characterisation, formation and minimisation during municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration: review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 86, 343–368. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222005303_Dioxin_characterisation_formation_and_minimisation_during_municipal_solid_waste_MSW_incineration_Review

  • Article about the formation of dioxines from domestic waste incineration: McKay, G. (2002). Dioxin characterisation, formation and minimisation during municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration: review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 86, 343–368. https://wce.confex.com/wce/2014/webprogram/Paper1307.html

Content repository

TypeFile NameDescriptionSize

jpg		LafargeHttp://territori. Scot. Cat/347.4k