The possible construction of a second biogas plant in Campos del ParaĆsoThe project, located in the province of Cuenca, has set off alarm bells in this rural municipality, which already had an initial project under consideration, currently undergoing environmental review. Residents and local associations fear the area will end up being transformed into a area of āāconcentration of this type of industrial facilities.
Far from seeing this new project as an isolated case, a large part of the population perceives a change in land use patternThis poses risks to the natural environment, the local economy, and the quality of life. The debate has now fully shifted to the institutional and social sphere, with the City Council, neighborhood associations, and environmental organizations taking action in recent weeks.
A second project next to the already planned plant
According to information gathered by residents, the second biogas plant It would be located very close to the existing facility, which is still undergoing the regional environmental review process. While the first project is publicly registered, this second one, according to complaints, appears to be shrouded in a certain degree of administrative opacity.
The new project would already have a urban planning compatibility reportDespite the fact that, to date, citizen groups claim to have found no publicly accessible environmental documentation, unlike the case of the first plant, this situation fuels distrust and the feeling that the municipality could be surrounded by several similar facilities in the short or medium term.
For the neighborhood association and a large part of the neighborhood, the combination of the biomethane plant and biofertilizer production This would place the municipality on the map of industrial enclaves linked to the treatment of agricultural and livestock waste, with effects that would go far beyond the mere generation of renewable energy.
The local context is especially sensitive, since Campos del ParaĆso encompasses several villages āCarrascosa del Campo, Loranca del Campo, Olmedilla del Campo, ValparaĆso de Arriba and ValparaĆso de Abajoā, all of them small in size, with an aging population and a strong link with the traditional agricultural and livestock territory.
Residents' concerns: odors, heavy traffic, and environmental risk
The newly created Campos del ParaĆso Rural Community Neighborhood Association And the Cuidemos Campos del ParaĆso collective has produced the first citizen reports to assess the potential effects of the two plants. Their preliminary conclusions point to serious problems with bad odors which, according to their calculations, could extend several kilometers away.
Furthermore, they estimate that the joint operation of these facilities could involve the transit of around 7.000 trucks per yearThis would lead to a significant increase in heavy traffic on local roads and rural tracks. They fear this will cause more noise, road deterioration, road safety risks, and a disruption of the area's peaceful character.
Another point that generates a lot of concern is the possible aquifer contamination and landscape impactResidents point out that the handling of large volumes of waste and digestate, along with the production of biofertilizers, could cause leaks or spills that affect groundwater and agricultural soils, which are essential to the local economy.
The groups insist that the consequences are not only technical or environmental; they also warn of effects on the social cohesion and the feeling of security In small towns, such a sudden change in the environment can generate tensions, division of opinions, and a feeling of loss of control over one's own territory.
In this scenario, they emphasize that they do not reject the debate on renewable energies, but they demand a more balanced territorial planningthat does not concentrate high-impact projects in a few rural municipalities and that takes into account the real absorption capacity of the environment.
Position of the City Council and extraordinary plenary session
El Campos del ParaĆso Town Hall The city has been forced to address the situation urgently. Its mayor, Javi del Saz of the People's Party, has publicly expressed his opposition to the installation of this second plant and has announced that the city council will take action. everything possible to stop the project if its processing is confirmed.
To address the issue officially, the City Council has called a full extraordinary which will be held this Friday, with the aim of analyzing the scope of the two projects, studying municipal powers and assessing possible avenues of administrative and political action.
Among the options that could be discussed are the review of urban planning instruments, the issuance of new municipal reports, the request for more information from the competent environmental authorities and the coordination with other municipalities in the region potentially affected by traffic and indirect impacts.
The neighborhood associations welcome the convening of this plenary session, which they interpret as a direct response to the social mobilization recorded in recent weeksHowever, they demand that the debate go beyond a single case file and that a comprehensive position of the municipality be established regarding the possible proliferation of biogas facilities in its surroundings.
Also on the table is the question of citizen participation in decision-making, with requests for the City Council to promote consultation mechanisms, transparent information and coordination with associations and platforms that have emerged as a result of these projects.
Regional assembly with experts and social organizations
Alongside the institutional channels, the citizens' movement has organized a open assembly for the entire region which will take place on February 14 at 11:00 a.m. in the Silo of Carrascosa del Campo, one of the towns that make up the municipality of Campos del ParaĆso.
Representatives from Living Villages of Cuenca y Ecologists in Action, in addition to Professor and Researcher MĆ”ximo FlorĆn, from the University of Castilla-La ManchaThe idea is to offer an analysis from three complementary angles: the technical-environmental, the legal-administrative, and the social-territorial.
The organizers emphasize that the assembly aims to be a space for rigorous information and collective coordination, open not only to the inhabitants of Campos del ParaĆso, but also to residents of other nearby municipalities who may be affected by the model of implementation of biogas plants in the province of Cuenca.
Among the topics expected to be addressed are the basic operation of biogas and biomethane plants, the legal obligations regarding environmental impact, Citizens' rights in participation processes, the experience of other towns that have already dealt with similar projects and the tools that municipalities have to organize their territory.
The neighborhood association emphasizes that its central objective is defend the quality of life, the rural environment and local decision-making power Regarding the development model, they appealed to neighborhood unity and institutional collaboration to address a situation they consider key to the future of the region.
The debate around the second biogas plant in Campos del ParaĆso It has raised fundamental questions about how energy infrastructure is implemented in rural areas, what role small municipalities play in decisions that affect them, and to what extent the benefits of these investments compensate for the impacts borne by local communities.