- Region
- Águilas
- Alhama de Murcia
- Jumilla
- Lorca
- Los Alcázares
- Mazarrón
- San Javier
-
ALL AREAS & TOWNS
- AREAS
- SOUTH WEST
- MAR MENOR
- MURCIA CITY & CENTRAL
- NORTH & NORTH WEST
- TOWNS
- Abanilla
- Abarán
- Aguilas
- Alamillo
- Alcantarilla
- Aledo
- Alhama de Murcia
- Archena
- Balsicas
- Blanca
- Bolnuevo
- Bullas
- Cañadas del Romero
- Cabo de Palos
- Calasparra
- Camping Bolnuevo
- Campo De Ricote
- Camposol
- Canada De La Lena
- Caravaca de la Cruz
- Cartagena
- Cehegin
- Ceuti
- Cieza
- Condado de Alhama
- Corvera
- Costa Cálida
- Cuevas De Almanzora
- Cuevas de Reyllo
- El Carmoli
- El Mojon
- El Molino (Puerto Lumbreras)
- El Pareton / Cantareros
- El Raso
- El Valle Golf Resort
- Fortuna
- Fuente Alamo
- Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
- Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
- Isla Plana
- Islas Menores & Mar de Cristal
- Jumilla
- La Azohia
- La Charca
- La Manga Club
- La Manga del Mar Menor
- La Pinilla
- La Puebla
- La Torre
- La Torre Golf Resort
- La Unión
- Las Palas
- Las Ramblas
- Las Ramblas Golf
- Las Torres de Cotillas
- Leiva
- Librilla
- Lo Pagan
- Lo Santiago
- Lorca
- Lorquí
- Los Alcázares
- Los Balcones
- Los Belones
- Los Canovas
- Los Nietos
- Los Perez (Tallante)
- Los Urrutias
- Los Ventorrillos
- Mar De Cristal
- Mar Menor
- Mar Menor Golf Resort
- Mazarrón
- Mazarrón Country Club
- Molina de Segura
- Moratalla
- Mula
- Murcia City
- Murcia Property
- Pareton
- Peraleja Golf Resort
- Perin
- Pilar de la Horadada
- Pinar de Campoverde
- Pinoso
- Playa Honda
- Playa Honda / Playa Paraíso
- Pliego
- Portmán
- Pozo Estrecho
- Puerto de Mazarrón
- Puerto Lumbreras
- Puntas De Calnegre
- Region of Murcia
- Ricote
- Roda Golf Resort
- Roldan
- Roldan and Lo Ferro
- San Javier
- San Pedro del Pinatar
- Santiago de la Ribera
- Sierra Espuña
- Sucina
- Tallante
- Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
- Torre Pacheco
- Totana
- What's On Weekly Bulletin
- Yecla
- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
ARCHIVED - Portmán Golf under investigation over heavy metal contamination in the Campo de Cartagena
Runoff water carries residues from old mining deposits past Llano del Beal and into the Mar Menor
The management of Portmán Golf have been placed under investigation in connection with negotiations which the company undertook in 2005 with the regional government of Murcia, then led by president Ramón Luis Valcárcel, concerning the elimination of “Balsa Jenny”, an old mining deposit which threatened to collapse and engulf Llano del Beal.
The mining residues contained in Balsa Jenny, which was located in the immediate proximity of Llano del Beal, were transferred to another zone 700 metres away in a separate mining area in the northern foothills of the Sierra Minera known as “Los Blancos II”, but it has been found that the new site was not properly sealed and that the obligation to carry out environmental restoration work was not met for a decade.
The case under investigation has been brought by Ecologistas en Acción, and among those called to give evidence to the instructing judge are the Cartagena construction firm bosses Alfonso García and Mariano Roca along with various of their relatives, with a requirement that they supply the minutes of meetings held in 2004 and 2005 and between 2014 and 2016.
In March, Miguel Martínez, the former president of Portmán Golf, informed the judge that the negotiations to find a solution to the problem of Balsa Jenny were held between Señores García and Roca on the one hand and the regional government on the other, and that he personally was unaware of their content. However, he was able to confirm that Los Blancos II had been placed at the disposal of the regional government and that the operation to transfer the mining residues cost 6.5 million euros, a sum which was funded by the regional and national governments.
The earthworks were carried out by Tragsa and Portmán Golf was originally in charge of sealing off Los Blancos II but did not do so, despite the highly toxic nature of the residues, according to reports compiled by the Guardia Civil and the State public prosecution service. In consequence, a considerable threat to public health (and the marine environment of the Mar Menor) was created, and it is for this reason that Ecologistas en Acción wish to see those involved held accountable.
Even now, 14 years after the transfer of the residues, the Guardia Civil report that the site of Balsa Jenny has not been properly sealed, and trickles of leachates have been found next to the land ceded by the company to the Murcia government. These leachates, detected on 3rd October, had high concentrations of heavy metals and the white, yellow and ochre streams were running into “rambla” runoff channels, passing alongside Llano del Beal and eventually making their way into the Mar Menor.
At the same time, there was reported to be a strong smell in the area and parts of the perimeter fencing were broken, to which the regional government has responded with a promise that another study of the risks present will be made this month.
Following the heavy rain which fell during the gota fría storm in mid-September residents of Llano del Beal reported that there were similar problems in Los Blancos II, although sources at Portmán Golf dismissed them as transparent run-off water which ended up in a closed pool further down the slope. They claim that “restoration work” was carried out, but soil samples were taken for testing and the results of the analysis are now being awaited.
Even before the torrential rain a little over a month ago the problem of lead, cadmium and arsenic being washed away by runoff water in the Sierra Minera was in the public eye, as while Murcia braced itself for the gota fría activists belonging to the Plataforma de Afectados por los Metales Pesados y Metaloides de la Sierra Minera group staged another protest in La Cabaña to demand immediate action.
Participants placed 250 pairs of children’s shoes at the foot of crosses they planted in the area to draw attention to the possible consequences for public health of lead and other heavy metals contaminating the soil and water supply, and expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of action not only on the part of the national, regional and local governments and of Portmán Golf. In their view Portmán Golf should be forced by the regional government to plug the old mines and prevent any more harmful substances, including cadmium and arsenic, escaping from them.
The CHS water infrastructures administration body is also held responsible for no preventative action having been taken in the Rambla de Mendoza (also known as the Rambla del Beal) and along the coast of the Mar Menor in the wetlands of Lo Poyo and in Los Urrutias, Perla de Levante, Los Nietos, Islas Menores, Mar de Cristal, Playa Honda and Marchamalo.
Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/