THE Municipal Assembly of Pampilhosa da Serra unanimously against the possible prospecting of lithium in the municipality, as in the negative opinion already issued by the City Council of this municipality in the district of Coimbra.
In a press release released this Tuesday, the municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra highlighted that the Municipal Assembly (AM), meeting extraordinarily on Monday, gave a “Round and forceful no” to possible lithium prospecting and other minerals in the designated area “Fox”.
In the municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra, the “Raposa” area occupies the Zêzere river basin, which extends from Dornelas do Zêzere, to the Portela de Unhais and the Santa Luzia dam, ending in Janeiro de Baixo.
According to the statement, the extraordinary session of the AM “was held with a single topic under analysisafter a new request for an opinion from the General Directorate of Energy and Geology, as had happened in 2019, in relation to the intention expressed by the company Fortescue Portugal Unipessoal Lda., in relation to the prospecting and investigation of materials such as gold, copper, tin, tungsten or lithium“.
Although two unfavorable opinions about possible exploitationJorge Custódio, mayor of Pampilhosa da Serra, recalled, quoted in the note, the new legislation -published in 2021, which regulates the issuance of opinions by municipalities- indicates that if the request is made by a private company “the opinion of the City Council is binding“.
But, if the request is made by the State, “the opinion of the Chamber is already considered non-binding“, stressed Jorge Custódio.
for the mayor, Lithium exploration in Pampilhosa da Serra “would completely ruin the natural heritage” of the municipality.
If we do this, we are not wasting our heritage, we are wasting the heritage of our children and grandchildren,” he stressed.
On the other hand, Jorge Custódio said that if the Zêzere basin “was wasted with open-pit exploration”, the environmental impact would not be felt only within the geographical limits of Pampilhosa da Serra.
“Would have unimaginable repercussions on many water lines“, can “jeopardize the water supply to Lisbon and other regions”, he warned, being “sceptical” in relation to an eventual socioeconomic return of lithium prospecting in the municipality.
What is at stake here is a open pit exploration (…). IT IS completely devastates our mountains“, warned Jorge Custódio.
The mayor has also indicated that the possible exploration of minerals “is completed with the Municipal Master Plan.”
José Brito, president of the Municipal Assembly of Pampilhosa da Serra, expressed his “incredulity” with the possibility of such an exploration in the Zêzere basin.
I don’t want to believe that there is anyone in this country who has the courage to destroy the values that exist there: a Water which is a fundamental good, the quartzite outcropsa landscape and its vegetation cover“, he expressed.
Source: Observadora
