Spain: Canarga quarry expand

Company says expansion not likely to cause environmental damage

{reg}While Spanish company, Canarga, recognizes that the expansion of their quarry on Mount Xalo will have a severe effect on the topography of area, the construction group maintains that their experts have deemed the change to be permissible by environmental standards.

According to a report by website laopinioncoruna.es, the company has requested the Ministry of Industry for a 10 hectares expansion of their current 17 hectare quarry on the slopes of the Carral Mountain. This is due to the existing quarry being close to depletion. The company recognizes that the expansion will create an impact of the areas vegetation it insists that is expansion plans are environmentally feasible.

According to laopinioncoruna.es, the enlargement of the excavation site will lead to the creation of four slopes with a maximum height of 45 meters. The quarry will produce aggregates for road construction. The company estimates that the new quarry will have a 15 year service life and has a production capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters to 100,000 cubic meters per year. The company expects to recover its investment in a year. However the company's restoration plan for the quarry at the end of its service life still lacks a way to address the hole produced by the quarrying.{reg/}