Solid waste management in Tenerife has been disrupted since April due to a fire at the mechanical plant in Arico. The Island’s Environmental Complex (PIRS) has been unable to treat or segregate waste as usual. The island government (CC-PP) has announced that the facility will resume operations by the end of this month after recovery efforts. The PSOE has requested the appearance of Minister Blanca Pérez at the upcoming plenary session to address the waste management policy and actions planned until 2027.
The PSOE is concerned about the handling of waste during this period and is particularly worried that waste may have been disposed of without proper treatment. The focus will be on the recent events at the mechanical plant and the waste management strategies put in place by the new government since the elections in May 2023.
Minister Blanca Pérez, along with the Monitoring Committee, visited the facility and emphasised the efforts made to restore the control panel and electrical systems of the mechanical treatment plant promptly. Pérez mentioned that the control room is advanced and complex and it has been a challenge to repair. The plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of July, allowing normal waste treatment procedures to resume at the Environmental Complex.
During the visit, Pérez and the island’s Waste Director, Alejandro Molowny, held a meeting to discuss the restoration process. Molowny praised the teamwork involved in quickly restoring the plant to its operational state and taking advantage of the shutdown to implement planned improvements.
Molowny highlighted the progress made with the plant’s redesign and upcoming projects in waste management services. The focus is on the short-term plans for various treatment plants and logistics centres, as well as enhancements to the waste management services across the Island.
Concerns have been raised by the PSOE regarding how waste has been managed since April. The party seeks detailed information on the waste management process during this period and calls for transparency in handling the situation until the mechanical plant is fully operational again.
