Impact assessment of proposed Montalegre lithium mine has public consultation deadline extended

The public consultation period for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the lithium mine in Montalegre has been extended by 30 working days, ending on 10 May, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) said on Monday.

Public consultation of the project for the concession of exploration of lithium and associated mineral deposits – Romano – began on February 14 and initially ended on March 25.

According to APA and information available on the Participa portal, the deadline has now been extended by 30 working days, thus ending on May 10.

The project is proposed by the company Lusorecursos Portugal Lithium and the area to be explored belongs to the municipality of Montalegre, in the district of Vila Real in the north of the country.

The extension of the deadline for public consultation meets the request made by residents, associations and movements, which argued about the complexity and quantity of documents for consultation.

Armando Pinto, from the Montalegre Com Vida (with life) association, had already told Lusa news agency that the initial deadline of 30 working days was “very little” to analyse “2,000 pages”.

“In a project of this size, with the impact that we consider it will cause to the region, it is only fair that more time is given so that people can express themselves in a more informed way,” he said at the beginning of the public consultation.

The Montalegre No Mines Movement said the EIA is “lacking in credibility, as it was carried out at a distance, because the company did not have authorisation from the land owners to enter, thus making it impossible to gather data ‘in loco'”.

This movement pointed out the “lightness with which the study was developed and the constant attempt to minimize the negative impacts, especially those that will cause more serious consequences and more directly affect local residents and the water”.

In a clarification session promoted by APA, in Montalegre, Ricardo Pinheiro, from Lusorecursos, said that the company’s ambition “is territorial unity in order to make Montalegre the municipality with the highest GDP per capita in the Northern region”.

Ricardo Pinheiro noted that this is an “integrated project,” ranging from extraction to the refinery and noted the creation of about 500 jobs, 376 of them direct. The exploration will be mixed, open-pit and underground.

The documents for consultation are available on the Participa portal until May 10.

According to APA, in the public consultation process, all opinions and suggestions submitted in writing will be considered and assessed, provided they are specifically related to the project under evaluation.

To date, 194 participations have been submitted on the Participa portal.