Renomar will continue operation of the wind farms of Arriel (Vilafranca) and Folch II (Castellfort) wind farms, with 43 wind turbines, despite a closure order on the Environment, "until a final decision." The company behind the wind turbines has appealed arguing the closure order "does not conform to law nor to reality." The May 30 order demanded the stay of the two wind parks in the Wind Zone 3 of the Plan de la Comunidad Valenciana, due to the high mortality of vultures recorded. The two parks have a Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA), which adopted its own conselleria.

The company insists it has complied with all environmental measures that have been demanded including "painting the blades of wind turbines with zebra" stripes, the construction of two muladares, and conducting several studies on the impact of birds prior to the installation of the windmills". In addition, since Renomar said  "we've installed GPS in some vultures to confirm their trajectory in order to avoid collisions with the blades".

The company replied that the conselleria, who stated in his resolution that there will be further action, recognizes that the Government's decision to close the Teruel muladares, "may have influenced the increase in deaths of vultures "Due to changing routes in search of food. (Note: ´Muladares´ are traditional places around villages where farmers bring their dead animals to be eaten by vultures and other scavengers.)

Since 2006 wind farms in zones 1, 2 and 3 of Ports and El Maestrat have registered more than 300 deaths of birds after collision with the blades of wind turbines, 200, griffon vultures, a protected species.

Ecologists

The Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO Bird Life) welcomed yesterday's decision by the Ministry and stated the decision to close these parks, "shows that the DIA approved by the Environment were totally wrong."

SEO Bird Life yesterday criticized the Renomar for its decision to continue operation of the wind farms charging that if the company does not meet the resolution on the Environment "it would be committing an environmental crime." "We no longer have the excuse that the DIA is favourable, the highest environmental authority requires them to close their wind turbines, and must do so already," claiming that the Ministry "enforce the law."

Following the closure order of the two parks, SEO Bird Life claims it is clear that this "should paralyze the expansion of wind zones 1, 2 and 3 scheduled, until we analyse the effects of new parks on birds. " That's because the Ministry of Industry has opened the contest to build more than 370 wind turbines in Ports and El Maestrat, which, according to environmentalists, demonstrates "the incongruity between the two departments of the Generalitat."

Editor's note: Windaction.org has translated this article from Spanish to English.