Huelva industrial-chemical complex, Spain

Last update:
2014-12-04

Huelva industrial-chemical complex, Spain

Description:

The city of Huelva had a chemical complex established during the 1960s (during the Franco dictatorship) right next to the city. The different companies (currently 14) established there started already back then discharging their toxic waste into the Tinto river. Several years later, one of them (Fertiberia) also started discharging phosphogypsum - a waste product of the phosphoric acid production process -which contains concentrations of uranium series radionuclides. This radioactive waste is stored in 30 meter high piles (called balsas de fosfoyesos), covering 1200 hectares, just a few hundred meters from the town.

Basic Data

Name of conflict:	Huelva industrial-chemical complex, Spain
Country:	Spain
State or province:	Huelva
Location of conflict:	Huelva
Accuracy of location	HIGH (Local level)

Source of Conflict

Type of conflict. 1st level:	Industrial and Utilities conflicts
Type of conflict. 2nd level:	Chemical industries
Specific commodities:	Copper Manufactured Products Industrial waste Crude oil Natural Gas Pesticides

Project Details and Actors

Project details	workers at the chemical complex.
Project area:	2700
Type of population	Urban
Affected Population:	150000
Start of the conflict:	1964
Company names or state enterprises:	Air Liquide from France Algry from Spain Aragonesas Agro from Spain Cepsa from Spain Enagás from Spain Naturgy (Naturgy) from Spain Ence from Spain Cepsa Química from Spain Fertiberia from Spain FMC Foret from Spain Repsol from Spain Huntsman Tioxide Union Fenosa from Spain Atlantic Copper from Spain ENEL Group (Enel) from Italy
Relevant government actors:	Huelva City Council, Regional government - Junta de Andalucía, Spanish government
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:	Greenpeace, Los Verdes Huelva, Ecologistas en Acción Huelva, Mesa de la Ría Platform. Formed by:, Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Huelva, Colegio Oficial de Biólogos de Andalucía Occidental – Del, egación Huelva, Colegio Oficial de Economistas, de Huelva, Delegación de Huelva del Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Andalucía Occidental, Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos Forestales, Consejo Andaluz de Colegios Oficiales de, Arquitectos, Asociación de Vecinos La Morana, Asociación de Vecinos Virgen de Belén, Asociación de, Vecinos de Santa Gema, Asociación de Vecinos del Antiguo Barrio de San Sebastián, Asociación de Vecinos La Amapola, Asociación de Vecinos, Las Palmeras, Asociación de Vecinos Los Desniveles – Barriada de La Orden, Asociación de Vecinos Viaplana, Asociación de Vecinos Huerta Mena, Izquierda Unida- Los Verdes –, Convocatoria por Andalucía, Partido Andalucista – Huelva, Colectivo Ciudadano para la Descontaminación de Huelva, Ecologistas en Acción, Sindicato USO, Sindicato USTEA, Sindicato CSIF, Sindicato Unitario, Asociación por los Derechos Humanos, Fundación Utopía Verde, Odiel Radio, HIGIA - Sociedad para la Defensa de la Calidad Ambiental y la Salud, Asociación de Estudiantes Progresistas, Asociación Deportiva SOLUA, APROMA, Asoc. para la Defensa del Patrimonio, Ecológico de Huelva (ADEH), PCPA, Asociación Dos Orillas.

Conflict & Mobilization

Intensity	MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)
Reaction stage	In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation)
Groups mobilizing:	Local ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Recreational users Local scientists/professionals Architects
Forms of mobilization:	Development of a network/collective action Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches

Impacts

Environmental Impacts	Visible: Air pollution, Global warming, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Waste overflow Potential: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion
Other Environmental impacts	Radioactivity
Health Impacts	Visible: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Occupational disease and accidents, Other environmental related diseases Potential: Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide, Deaths
Other Health impacts	According to a helth study from the University Pompeu Fabra, Huelva has the highest rate of Cancer in Spain (1).
Socio-economical Impacts	Visible: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Loss of landscape/sense of place Potential: Loss of livelihood, Specific impacts on women, Violations of human rights

Outcome

Project Status	In operation
Conflict outcome / response:	Corruption Environmental improvements, rehabilitation/restoration of area
Proposal and development of alternatives:	To clean and recover the contaminated areas for the inhabitants of the citys health and leisure activities.
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:	No
Briefly explain:	The chemical industries are still active.

Sources & Materials

Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc)

Law 7/2007, de Gestión Integrada de la Calidad Ambiental.

EU Directive 2000/60/CE.

Environmental Protection Law 7/1994.

References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries

[click to view]

Diagnóstico de la calidad ambiental de la Ría de Huelva (Consejo Superior de

Investigaciones Científicas, 2005).

Contaminación por material particulado atmosférico en el entorno de la Ría de

Huelva (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2007c).

valuación de la calidad de las aguas litorales y los sedimentos. (Consejería de Medio Ambiente (2000-2007) y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas –2005-).

Análisis de las presiones (aportes) antropogénicas significativas. (Universidad de Huelva, 2007).

Informe preparatorio de la delegación provincial de Huelva para el estudio epidemiológico sobre contaminación del polo industrial de Huelva y los riesgos para la salud. 1989.

Informe de Corpwatch sobre Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, propietaria de Atlantic Copper.

[click to view]

Franciso L. Rueda, Julia M. Palomares, Ignacio V. Rico. Atypical Thyroiditis in Huelva. Endocrine Practice Vol5, No3 May/June 1999.

Investigación de Expascan

Daponte-Codina, A. y otros autores. Efectos a corto plazo de la contaminación atmosférica sobre la mortalidad: resultados del proyecto EMECAM en Huelva, 1993-1996. Revista Española de Salud Pública.

Natali, L. (2010). The big elephants in the backyard of Huelva (Spain) in White, R. (ed.) (2010) Global Environmental Harm. p.193-210

(1) Benach, J. & Martinez, JM. (ed)(2013) Atlas of Mortality in Spanish Municipalities and Census Tracts (1984-2004)Madrid: Fundación BBVA

Huelva.

Interview to a member of Mesa de la Ria who entered into the municipal government, proposing green alternatives for the city:
[click to view]

The geography of the highest mortality areas in Spain: a striking cluster in the southwestern region of the country:
[click to view]

Situación medioambiental, social y política de la ría de Huelva.
[click to view]

Bajo los efectos de la contaminación. Introductory report:
[click to view]

Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

Videoclip 2013:
[click to view]

Documentary about the huelva conflict. 2012. Cero: (first part) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FFjZrtpVEI (second part)
[click to view]

Meta information

Contributor:	Amaranta Herrero
Last update	04/12/2014
Conflict ID:	52

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