Monchique locals have lived for year under the ever-present threat of extensive mining in the surrounding hillsides and, despite years of licence applications, followed by complaint and uproar, an announcement in Diário da República opens up the distinct possibility of feldspar mining operations commencing in the Corte Grande area.
Monchique mayor, the popular Rui André, will fight to preserve the beautiful south facing hillsides that make the unspoiled Monchique countryside ideal for ‘nature tourism’ - the growing sector that this low-activity council area increasingly has been taking advantage of.
The mining companies' goal is feldspar* and the latest enemy is Felmica, a company that has requested permission of the government to mine 15 hectares of Monchique's iconic hillside.
The last attempt by a mining company to disturb this rural idyll was spotted by eagle-eyed locals who witnessed land clearance going on under the guise of ‘planting trees.’ This was in 2103 when Sifucel wanted to mine in Carapitotas. Now the mayor is faced with a new request for exploration and research by Felmica in Corte Grande.
Locals and environmental bodies have 30 days to lodge their opinions which will include objections from environmental, visual, and logistical points of view taking into account that the land in question is categorised as agricultural and ecological reserve.
The hillside in question also is part of a natural water source and should come under the Natura2000 protection zone - although this categorisation seems to get ignored whenever tourism or industry is involved.
The directorate for energy and geology is, as ever, acting for the mining industry rather than following the rules laid down to condition its behaviour. According to Sul Informação, the directorate’s online map of the area that Felmica applied to mine in 2010 is shown as ‘approved’ when no such approval formally has been granted and an environmental impact assessment commissioned and paid for by Sifucel was kept from Monchique council even though the site is within its council boundary.
Rui André is incensed that these mining companies can do deals with the government that affects the Monchique area and environment without consulting the council.
The mayor is not anti-mining as he has suggested that the north side of the Serra da Monchique could be exploited with zero disruption to the aesthetic appeal of the south facing hillsides which can be seen from much of the western Algarve and which provide the basis for much of Monchique’s tourism appeal.
Comparing the anti feldspar mining feeling in Monchique, to the anti oil drilling protests affecting coastal areas of the region, André says he will push to see the prime minister to argue his case and, if necessary, stand in front of the machines if mining permission is granted against fierce local opposition.
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* According to Wikipedia, "Feldspar is a common raw material used in glassmaking, ceramics, and to some extent as a filler and extender in paint, plastics, and rubber. In glassmaking, alumina from feldspar improves product hardness, durability, and resistance to chemical corrosion. In ceramics, the alkalis in feldspar (calcium oxide, potassium oxide, and sodium oxide) act as a flux, lowering the melting temperature of a mixture.
Fluxes melt at an early stage in the firing process, forming a glassy matrix that bonds the other components of the system together. In the US, about 66% of feldspar is consumed in glassmaking, including glass containers and glass fiber. Ceramics (including electrical insulators, sanitaryware, pottery, tableware, and tile) and other uses, such as fillers, accounted for the remainder.
