91999E0252

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0252/99

by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 February 1999)

Subject: Slate dumps in San Pedro de Trones (Castilla y León, Spain)

The area of San Pedro de Trones (León) is being threatened by the effects of a large number of slate dumps. Some are as high as 100 metres and contain many cracks, causing fears that they may fall on the village.

This situation has led to serious environmental damage preventing the areas concerned from developing any profitable economic activity such as tourism.

Is the Commission aware of this situation?

Does the Commission know whether this slate-mining activity is in breach of any of the following directives:

(a) Directive 92/43/EEC(1) on the conservation of natural habitats and on wild fauna and flora;

(b) Directive 85/337/EEC(2) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment;

(c) Directive 87/216/EEC(3) on the major accident hazards of certain industrial activities?

Does the Commission not consider that there is an urgent need for the competent authorities to set reasonable limits on the volume and size of these dumps? Have limits of this kind been laid down in any directive?

Will the Commission urge the competent authorities to draw up a technical study as a matter of urgency on each of the dumps existing in the neighbourhood of San Pedro de Trones, so that a specific plan can be drawn up for each of them, taking steps to stabilise and subsequently make safe any which pose a serious risk to the area?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 1999)

The Commission had not been informed of the situation referred to by the Honourable Member. The question does not state the origin of the slate dumps, and the Commission will obtain details of this problem from the Spanish authorities.

At first sight Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the impact of certain public and private projects on the environment does not seem to apply. Likewise Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances(4), which replaced other earlier sets of rules, seems not to apply in that the dumps do not appear to have been produced by a specific industrial activity. Nor does the Honourable Member mention the existence of a natural habitat close to this area. This would mean that Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora of 21 May 1992 could not apply.

Under Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1995 on waste(5), Member States shall prohibit the unauthorised dumping of waste. Moreover, they must take any action needed in order to ensure that waste is processed and disposed of without any risk to both human beings and the environment.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

(3) OJ L 85, 28.3.1987, p. 36.

(4) OJ L 10, 14.1.1997.

(5) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.