The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, via the Public Services department, expressed its concerns yesterday in a statement, after discovering that the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has yet again postponed the deadline for the expansion works at the Buenos Aires treatment facility.
This project, which was initially scheduled for completion in 2022, now has a revised completion date of July 2025, but has been pushed back once more to December of the following year. This delay hinders the goal of halting discharges into the sea, which is the city’s most significant environmental issue, as stated.
In this context, Carlos Tarife (PP), the Councillor for Public Services, emphasised that “this project is vital for eliminating wastewater discharges into the sea, which impacts both the environment and the quality of life of the community.” He further asserted, “this delay is unacceptable, thus I call on Minister Teresa Ribera to provide clear explanations as to why such an essential project for Santa Cruz continues to be postponed.” The councillor condemned the central government’s lack of dedication to this initiative and stated that “the State has once again demonstrated that the work on the Buenos Aires treatment plant is not a priority for Pedro Sánchez or the PSOE.”
Moreover, the conservative councillor reminded that he had sent a letter to the responsible minister in December of last year, urging prompt action to complete the expansion of the treatment facility, particularly due to the severity of the issue it poses for the city.
“We reiterated the significance of this project, and yet again faced another delay. It is crucial that the Government of Spain acknowledges its responsibilities and finalises a project that has been an unfulfilled promise for years,” stated Tarife.
According to a note from the City Council, the expansion of the Buenos Aires treatment plant is one of the most crucial projects aimed at enhancing wastewater management in Santa Cruz, regaining the blue flag, and ultimately ceasing discharges into the sea, which has been a longstanding environmental concern for the city’s coastline.
