Residents of Rural Areas Urge City Council to Negotiate with Cemex for Factory Closure

Neighbourhood associations from La Cañada del Fenollar and Fontcalent urge both the Alicante City Council and Cemex to initiate "immediate negotiations for a gradual and definitive cessation of all mining activities within the municipal area," which is contrary to the company's plans, as it has requested a license to extend operations for another 30 years.

This is a situation that these resident associations do not wish to prolong. In fact, they have already filed objections against the industrial activity extension, which they believe effectively constitutes "the creation of a new factory," since the current one "requires urgent adaptations to the new regulations." According to the residents, Cemex "plans to carry out refurbishment works," reinforcing their belief that "this is not merely a continuation of the previous license, but a new industrial facility."

In these objections, the residents of the rural areas remind that "Alicante is not a city with a mining vocation and never has been nor will be." They advocate for "exploiting our benign resources such as the sun and our beaches to maintain the title of capital of the Costa Blanca and work towards becoming the California of Europe," as stated in a communiqué. For this, "it is not compatible with cement mining industries, which are among the most polluting in the world."

Therefore, they demand a negotiated end to the activity in a gradual manner. Moreover, it "must be orderly and accompanied by environmental restoration measures, so that Cemex repairs the damage caused in its mining operations and restores the mountains devastated by its activity." Additionally, the residents believe, "a short deadline must be set for the dismantling of the silos, warehouses, and kilns of the current factory, preventing abandoned structures like those in San Vicente del Raspeig."

To force this negotiation, in addition to the objections, the residents will also engage in social mobilisation. Firstly, by collecting signatures to "halt the expansion files of a new crater in the Foncalent subsoil." Furthermore, on Tuesday, February 25th at 8:15 pm, a neighbourhood assembly will be held at the AVV Benvinguts a Foncalent association facilities, where political movements from Alicante and San Vicente del Raspeig will participate. In this meeting, actions to be taken before the Alicante City Council plenary on Thursday, 27th will be discussed.

From the neighbourhood associations, "we trust that this situation will be resolved in Alicante favourably for the city and the residents," they assure in their communiqué.