The Güímar City Council is piling rubble on a rustic farm it owns. The land was purchased by the consistory with the aim of expanding the municipal cemetery.
The parcel has been used for four or five months for garbage storage. After the events, a resident of the municipality has recently filed a complaint with the Canary Islands Environmental Protection Agency.
As the complainant alleges, the City Council has been depositing electrical appliances, tires, used oil and other types of debris on the farm for months. In turn, he assures that it is rubble from the City Hall, since you can see pool posters and some gym supplies. However, this neighbor also points out that it is not only about garbage, but about chemical products: “When you pass through the area it smells like tar, like oil.”
Apart from adjoining the cemetery, the land is also close to ponds and farms. As the complainant explains, there is a danger that these chemicals could leak out and, consequently, cause damage to the surrounding land: “It is an environmental crime,” says the declarant.
In addition, the neighbor explains that “his entrance is open and that there is no security sign.”
For its part, the City Council has responded to the Canary Islands Now that the land is owned by the consistory and that, therefore, they can give the use they deem appropriate. As councilor Juan Delgado alleges, “they use that space when they are in a hurry, since the municipality is very saturated.”
As explained by the City Council, the company that is in charge of cleaning and garbage collection in the municipality has been managing the service since 2006, but the workforce has not increased: “Currently, there are 19 cleaning workers for the entire municipality. They are below minimum. The population has grown and people throw their garbage anywhere and, since we don’t provide supplies, we deposit it there”.
Delgado denies that there are chemical spills in the area and that only “normal things” are being placed, such as mattresses or electrical appliances. In addition, he explains that this waste belongs to the municipality and that it is being placed on the site temporarily: “As soon as possible, this garbage will no longer be there. That land is for the construction of the cemetery”, points out the councilor.
In the same way, the mayor assures that “the site is fenced and that you cannot enter” and that he himself, together with the City Council staff, is cleaning the property with the aim of accelerating the construction of the cemetery. Likewise, he adds that they have already requested the tender to enable new points where garbage can be deposited.
