TSXG orders precautionary shutdown of Muras feldspar mine, valued at more than 600 million

The Supreme Court Xustiza de Galicia announced this Thursday preventive suspension of the project exploit feldspar in Muras. The mining activity, which was supposed to take place in the parish of Silán, is promoted by the company Urbas, which planned to use the raw material from the site for ceramics.

The TSXG “immediately and unconditionally” suspends the decision by which the Xunta approved the exploitation project last December. The court finds that the place where it is extraction is near protected places such as Serra do Xistral and the land included in the Terras do Miño Biosphere Reserve and also highlights the existence of important species of flora and fauna in the area. The reserves are considered the most important in Spain.

Court decision, against which an appeal can be filed, determines that the suspension must be adopted in view of the “mere possibility” that the extraction causes irreparable harm or is difficult to remedy. The interest in preserving these natural areas must prevail over the company’s plans for mining activity, “regardless of how legitimate their right is”. The association requested a preventive suspension Peton to Lobowhich focuses a large part of its activities on the defense of cultural and natural heritage and whose headquarters are in Cabana de Bergantiños.

twelve million tons

The site of the parish of Murense in Silán has something reserves of twelve million tons, estimated at 660 million euros. Urbas set his sights on the deposit (previously exploited by Construcciones Murias, a company he bought in 2020) to supply the national market, and especially the ceramic industry, with a mineral that needs to be imported.