Plans to install a big facility in south Tenerife to dry sludge from wastewater in the sun may be delayed or even scuppered by archaeological reasons rather than possible protests by locals.
Further details have emerged in recent days of the plans for up to 10,000 annual tonnes of sludge from the wastewater generated in many parts of the island to be dried out and have the liquid content removed before being deposited in the waste disposal complex in Arico.
The news has already prompted concerns that smells from the drying operation could have a serious impact on neighbouring villages, some of which are less than two kilometres away from the facility. The prospect of the bad odours on particularly hot or windy days is reported to have been raised by the public health department of the Canarian government and is already triggering anger among local residents.
However, a second obstacle has just emerged with reports that Tenerife’s Heritage Department has raised further concerns at the plans given that parts of the proposed site for the sludge drying could contain vestiges of archaeological interest, particularly elements associated with the earliest inhabitants of the island.
“The Environmental Impact Assessment carried out did not take into account the archaeological aspects and was done without input from a qualified expert” said a Heritage source.
It is unclear at this stage whether this lack of input will have to be remedied before the plans are definitively approved and the project can proceed.
Photo: Arico Waste Treatment Facility
