"What the Government's intentions regarding the mining of feldspar in the Monchique mountains?" This question, put to the government in mid-January by an Algarve MP, now has been answered.
No licenses have been issued, according to the Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs but the destruction of a unique Monchique hillside and habitat has continued, until today.
Monchinque’s Mayor Rui André said that, "The Directorate General for Energy and Geology not yet said anything to parliament so we have no official advice that this company can work there. This is an unauthorised activity and is illegal."
The Communist Party’s MP, Paulo Sá also needed the answer as heavy machinery on contract to a mining company allied to Sifucel Silicas SA has continued to dig up an area near Alferce with impunity, searching for feldspar samples.
Even though the company involved has no license, it kept going until today when the police were called to the site and work stopped.
The land in question is in the National Ecological Reserve and in the Network Site of Community Importance ‘Natura 2000’ and the clearing of the land for feldspar exploration and possible mining is illegal.
The work first was halted last October by the council with help from the Commission for Coordination and Regional Development (CCDR) but activity recommenced almost the next day.
Monchique council passed a motion in December 2015 against the exploration for feldspar in that area as there are issues over the potential disruption to an essential public water supply as 75% of the Carapitotas land in question is a public water supply source.
Sifucel submitted an Experimental Exploration Application to government back in 2011, but there is no record of permission having been given and concern from locals and MPs is that mining companies have a carte blanche to explore for feldspa in the Monchique mountains without the public or the council having being informed.
The government is not averse to issuing licenses in the Monchique area and will follow the correct procedures.
The council’s stance, backed up by many locals, is that no exploration should take place on the south of the mountain range as this is a valuable tourist area, attracting tens of thousands of people each year and bringing valuable spending power to the area.
The machinery has been removed but much damage already has been done. The company’s lie that it was involved in replanting oak trees showing the depth of deception at play and, as André pointed out today, it would need a license for planting as well so the whole series of events is a mess.
