The debate around the biomethane gas plant in Tudela has gained momentum following the publication in the Official Gazette of Navarre of the environmental resolution on Phase II of the WWTP. The decision, which considers that no significant effects are observed in the terms of the report, has set off alarm bells at the City Council.
Mayor, Alejandro Toquero, has announced that it will strengthen political and social pressure to stop the project promoted by NILSA, as the planned installation is located at about 800 meters from the urban center and next to the Ebro riverbed, a location that the City Council sees as problematic.
What the environmental resolution says
According to the documentation published in the Official Gazette of Navarra, the "Tudela centralized sludge plant (Phase II, sludge treatment at the WWTP)" would not generate significant environmental impacts, provided under the terms and conditions set forth in the report of the General Directorate of the Environment.
The resolution does not authorize the work itself, but acts as an administrative milestone that paves the way for the following procedures, something that the City Council interprets as an open door to the development of the initiative on the plot adjacent to the treatment plant.
City Council's position and criticism of coherence
Toquero has shown his discomfort considering that there is lack of consistency by the regional government: while extreme precautions are taken to protect the surroundings of Las Norias during events such as Angel Day, a high-impact installation in a sensitive environment like the banks of the Ebro.
The councilor insists that the project is not limited to optimizing sludge management, but its purpose is to produce and sell biomethaneIn his opinion, prioritizing this economic aspect doesn't fit with a location so close to homes and areas frequented by citizens.
Location, safety and surroundings
The most controversial point is the proximity: the plot is approximately 800 meters from the town center of Tudela and next to the river. The council argues that a project of this nature should be located further from residential areas to minimize any perceived risk and reduce potential discomfort.
The City Council maintains that, in addition to the proximity to housing, the location next to the Ebro requires special attention. demanding with prevention and control. Therefore, he calls for studying alternatives that guarantee greater distance from the population.
Sesma's reference and the announcement of mobilizations
The mayor recalls that the Parliament of Navarre recently activated a moratorium on the Sesma biomethane plant, where the separation from the urban area of ​​Lodosa was greater - around two kilometers. In that case, the neighborhood pressure It is considered to have been decisive in delaying the deadlines.
With this precedent, the Tudela council is preparing a response strategy that would combine administrative actions before the competent bodies and a calendar of mobilizations, in coordination with municipalities of the Ribera, to claim another location or abandon the project.
What NILSA proposes for the WWTP
The plan, promoted by the public company NILSA, is integrated into the Tudela WWTP and is linked to "Phase II" of the centralized sludge treatment plant. The City Council's interpretation is that, beyond improving treatment, the aim is to enable capacity for generate biomethane from sludge, thus entering the renewable gas marketing circuit.
The municipal corporation maintains that if this orientation materializes, the volume of activity and the nature of the facility would require stricter location criteria. Therefore, he demands that the project be halted at its current location or study your transfer.
The situation is therefore marked by two levels: the environmental procedure - which has issued an opinion of no significant condition in the terms of the report—and the political and social opposition that is gaining strength in the municipality. In the coming weeks, decisions could be made new institutional and citizen steps awaiting the progress of the process.
