Environmentalists criticise European Commission strategic mining project

The environmental association Zero criticised on Wednesday the European Commission’s decision to allow investment in lithium mines in the Vila Real district, disregarding environmental and social impacts.

Last week, the European Commission announced a first batch of 47 projects designated as strategic under the European Regulation on Critical Raw Materials (EMCR).

Portugal chose four projects: a copper processing and extraction project at Somincor’s Neves Corvo mine in Castro Verde and three other lithium projects, such as Savannah Resources’ Barroso project in Boticas, Lusorecursos’ Romano mine in Montalegre, and Lift One by Lifthium Energy (of the José de Mello and Bondalti group) in Estarreja.

The two mining projects proposed for the Vila Real district (Barroso and Romano mines) have been approved by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). The issuing of a favourable Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) is conditioned on 2023.

Savannah is proposing an open-cast mine for Boticas, and in Montalegre, Lusorecursos wants to proceed with a mixed operation, first open-cast and then tunnelled.

“Zero would like to express its deep concern at the fact that this decision has been adopted not only in a context of strong opposition from the local population and local authorities, but also in circumstances in which opacity seems to be the dominant theme with the signing of five mining concession contracts ‘by stealth’ at the end of 2024”, the association said in a statement.

Zero realises that, in the Barroso area alone, these contracts “add 1,139 hectares to the existing concession of 542 hectares”. “This latest situation generates enormous perplexity and raises concerns about the guarantees that the current legal regime for the disclosure and exploitation of geological resources provides in terms of safeguarding the public interest, giving private initiative an undesirable preponderance, particularly concerning knowledge of existing geological values, which can easily result in transfers of rights that fuel speculation on resources”, it said.

It added that “the current model, in which prospecting and research rights are granted to private interests at their request, diminishes the state’s role, both in promoting knowledge of strategic geological resources and in their exploitation”.

Zero also said that “the need for a just energy transition is not being properly safeguarded” and that there are growing “fears that the environmental liabilities that will remain from future exploitation could result in the potential of the affected territories being rendered unviable as a support for activities that ensure decent living conditions for local populations”.

Zero emphasised that Portugal’s lack of adequate legislation and a green industrial strategy makes it “easy prey for predatory tactics by unscrupulous companies”.

The association added that Portugal should at least comply with national and European legislation regarding recycling electrical and electronic products, thus being able to recover important quantities of various types of critical raw materials, including lithium.

It added that the country recycles “between 20% and 30% of electrical and electronic products and has no credible measures in place to significantly change this reality”.