The PSOE has accused the Balearic Government of shirking its responsibility in the installation of the asphalt plant at Sant Rafelby transferring the authorization of this infrastructure to the City Council of Sant Antoni. The controversy arose after the Balearic Minister of Enterprise, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, responded to a question from the Socialist deputy Pilar Costa about the authorizations and the impact of the plant, indicating that the competence lies at the municipal level due to the provisional nature of the plant, which is used for the renovation of the Sant Antoni highway. Pilar Costa has criticized the Govern for “throwing balls out of the window” and stated that both the Town Hall and the autonomous executive have deceived the neighbors, making them believe that the authorization depended on another administration, as reported by Radio Ibiza. Costa also expressed his support for the complaint filed by the residents of the area, who have taken the case to the Ibiza Public Prosecutor’s Office due to the nuisance and environmental impact that the plant generates in the area, in particular the increase in pollution and truck traffic in Sant Rafel.
Intervention by the public prosecutor’s office
According to the neighbors, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has referred the case to SEPRONA of the Guardia Civil, initiating an investigation to assess possible environmental crimes. In a statement, the residents of Sant Rafel have expressed their concern about the “unbearable” pollution levels and other health and welfare problems that, they claim, have been caused by various industrial facilities in the area, including a biomass plant that has favored the proliferation of snakes and insects. From the PSOE, Costa demanded from the Govern and the City Council greater transparency and specific deadlines for the duration of the plant, which, according to San Pedro, should be in operation for approximately four months, with an expected completion date of February 2025. The neighbors, however, maintain that the nuisances and environmental risk persist and demand that stricter and more concrete measures be taken to protect their health and the natural environment.
