The following is a brief account of some of the main points raised at the meeting held in the bar at Benimassot on Saturday 19 June 2004. Depending on the level of extraneous noise, I managed to pick up more or less of what the speakers had to say, so I make no claim that it is a full report.

Information

The first part of the meeting was devoted to providing information about the Wind Power Plan and how objections should be made.

Mariano announced that the Wind Power Plan for the Valencian Community could now be examined in Alicante, but that the authorities don't exactly make it easy: the various parts of the Plan – the special plans, preliminary windfarm construction projects and environmental impact study for Zone 14 of the Valencian Community Wind Power Plan – consist of some 5,000 pages all together, and are only available to the public between 9.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, when most people are at work. No photocopying is allowed, and no tables and chairs are supplied so that they can be studied in comfort.

The material that can be inspected in local town halls is not the full plan, but a very brief and incomplete summary.

At the meeting last Wednesday (16 June) in Benimassot, an official from Alicante agreed that they had to take into account the degree of acceptance by local people, and there was talk of holding referendums in the villages to determine the extent of local opposition.

The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the windfarms recognised that contaminants could filter through to the subsoil and pollute the aquifers.

Four alternatives were mentioned in the EIS for the route of the high voltage pylons for Alfaro. One was along the riverbed 40 metres from the village of Famorca. It would be up to the company which alternative was ultimately chosen.

The EIS recognised that noise and disruption could be caused by the construction of the windfarms, but this was considered to be a temporary inconvenience.

The Mayoress of Quatretondeta said that from the results of the various meetings held by local councils, the villages of Alqueria, Benimassot, Quatretondeta, Muro, Cocentaina, Benilloba, Millena, Tollos and various others had come out against the windfarms. The only village in which the mayor was known to be definitely in favour is Castell de Castells. People said they would like to know if any other councils were in favour of the windfarms and if so, on what grounds.

Mark Duchamp, of Ibérica 2000, concerned with protecting wild life and endangered species of birds in particular, said that it was no good just putting our faith in raising objections. We had to create a stir in Alicante, involve the press, and make a definite physical presence, organise democratic opposition and make a personal effort to create opposition. Exchange telephone numbers, print up leaflets and distribute them to the villages, put flyers on car windscreens, etc.

On the matter of alegaciones, or objections, Hector and Mariano emphasised that these had to be based on contravention of legal requirements, inconsistencies, etc. It might be true that there were hidden interests at work, but that in itself was not illegal. However, there were many aspects of the Plan that were in contravention of the law, the protection of designated areas or the terms of the original Valencian Community Wind Power Plan itself, and objections had to be based on these.

Anyone can file objections, they do not have to be a local resident, provided they are over 18.

Separate objections have to be filed against the windfarms and the high voltage cables. Various versions of suitable objections are going to be drawn up, so people can use them or adapt them to include their own points.

Proposals

The second half of the meeting was devoted to specific proposals for action to be taken. These included:

As previously decided at the meetings in Quatretondeta, different work groups would deal with providing the villages with information, contacting institutions, and working on the separate objections for the high voltage cables and the windfarms. It was also suggested that there should be other groups to collect information, collate and organise it and do research.

A draft manifesto for the action group was read out and discussed. When I get the final Spanish version I will translate it.

It was suggested that there should be a representative from each village to act as coordinator to ensure that material was passed on to all residents.

Events should be arranged: festive occasions that would be fun and provide publicity, where information could be distributed. Local fiestas would also provide opportunities to publicise opposition to the windfarms.

Demonstrations

Contacts with ecological associations for support and assistance.

Important to gain the support of people in Cocentaina and Alcoi as well, to swell the numbers of people filing objections, signing petitions, etc.

Money needed to be collected and a fund should be set up.

The Valencian Government’s Ministry for Infrastructures (Conselleria d'Infrastructures) has put the plans for Zone 14 of the Valencia Community Wind Power Plan on public display. The process of public scrutiny has been opened simultaneously for the special plans for the windfarms, the preliminary construction projects for these installations and the environmental impact studies. The period of 30 days for filing objections started 17 June, when notice of public access was published in the Official Journal of the Valencian Community.

The project envisages the installation of 3 windfarms with 50 wind turbines, each 100 metres high, on the sierras of the Comtat and part of Marina Alta. The villages directly affected are: Castell de Castells, Benillup, Fageca, Famorca, Almudaina, Benimassot, Gorga, Billeneta, Planes, Balones, Quatretondeta and Tollos, but the turbines will be clearly visible throughout the whole of the Comtat district, and also from l'Alcoià (from the Albaida Pass to the Carrasqueta Pass).

Tomorrow, Saturday 19 June, at 7.00 p.m., the Action Group opposing the windfarms has called "all members of the public to a meeting in Benimassot to express their opposition to the windfarms and decide what action should be taken".

For more information:

Information on Vilaweb [Catalan language]
News on alcoidigital.com [Catalan language]
Decision published in the Official Journal of the Valencian Government on 17 June 2004 [Spanish] [English translation]
Diario Información newspaper report [Spanish] [English translation]

2004/06/18

08/06/2004

The recently constituted Coordinating Group for Studying the Wind Power Plan for the Ceta and Travadell valleys met again on Saturday. It was set up to stop the construction of the three windfarms planned as part of the Valencian Wind Power Plan in Zone 14, which affects the most rural part of the Comtat area. The meeting agreed to file objections, and in a new initiative local mayors took part in the meeting and offered their support, beginning by holding public meetings in their respective local communities to discuss the project and adopt a position on it.

More information in Catalan [alcoidigital.com]

07/06/2004

The villages affected by the project met in Quatretondeta on Sunday 6 June and set up an action group to organise joint actions.

People from 12 villages in El Comtat affected by the Valencian Wind Power Plan have set up an group to organise action aimed at stopping the construction of 50 wind turbines on the sierras of the area designated as Zone 14. The initiative arose during the meeting held on Sunday in Quatretondeta to study the presentation of objections to the project, to which representatives from 12 villages were invited.

Opposition to the project to build three windfarms in the El Comtat area brought about 90 people to Quatretondeta for the meeting. As well as councillors, many local residents from the neighbouring villages came, including a large number of foreign residents. The villages represented at the meeting were Muro, Cocentaina, Millena, Benillup, Gorga, Balones, Planes, Almudaina, Tollos, Fageca and Famorca, all of which are affected by the construction of roads, overhead electric cables that would pass near the village or impact on the landscape. The plan proposes to build 50 wind turbines on the sierras of Almudaina and Tollos, and also on Alfaro, between Fageca and Castell de Castells.

The mayoress of Quatretondeta, Magda Chiquillo, said that the first action to be taken would be to hold special meetings in each village at which each Council will adopt a position on the project. The proposals to be discussed at these sessions include: halting the Wind Power project until more information is available to the public, asking for the assistance of the Valencian Community Ombudsman, seeking legal advice form the Provincial Government’s legal department, and filing specific objections against the Plan.

The main grounds for these objections concerns the damage that this project would do to the environment and its serious impact on the landscape. As Magda Chiquillo pointed out, the main charm of these villages lies in their setting, which is «like an advertisement for rural tourism».

Once resolutions have been adopted at the special meetings, the people of the villages involved plan to meet again on 19 June, at 7.00 p.m. at the “Casa de Cultura” of Benimassot. Then other actions will get under way, such as collecting signatures and meeting the representatives of the official bodies concerned.

For reports in the Spanish press: [Levante - EMV] - [Diari Información]

TO ASK THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNCILS TO PUT THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS TO AN OPEN MEETING IN THEIR VILLAGE:

1) To ask the Valencia Regional Government to halt/suspend the Valencian Community Wind Power Plan until an ENERGY PLAN FOR THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY has been adopted.

2) To seek the advice of the Legal Services of the Provincial Government of Alicante.

3) To seek the support of the Ombudsman for the Valencian Community, in view of the generally misleading information and consequent uncertainty suffered by the population of these villages.

Quatretondeta, 5 June 2004

03/06/2004

Quatretondeta Council has invited the representatives of 13 villages in El Comtat to a meeting next Saturday to study the presentation of objections against the construction of three wind farms in the district. The project, which proposes the construction of a total of 50 wind turbines, has provoked widespread objections because of the serious impact it would have on the landscape and the environment.

More [Levante - EMV]

29/05/2004

Various groups in the El Comtat region this week set up a steering committee called the “Coordinadora d’Estudis del Pla Eòlic a les Valls de Seta I Travadell” [Coordinatoring Group for Studying the Wind Power Plan for the Seta and Travadell valleys], with the intention of launching a integrated campaign to publicise their opposition to the installation of three wind parks proposed for these valleys, and to raise the awareness of the population, in the hope, ultimately of halting the Valencian government’s proposals.

For report in catalan [www.alcoidigital.com]