When Uranium Knocks on your Door
In August 2017, Berkeley Energia, a large energy conglomerate, announced a 120 million USD deal with the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) - the sovereign wealth fund of Oman - to begin exploring the uranium reserves in Retortillo, a small municipality in Salamanca, Western Spain. In 2019, Berkeley announced the discovery of additional tungsten, cobalt, lithium and cobalt reserves.
To realise is vision, Berkeley bought and sealed-off large portions of land and conducted large-scale felling to clear the way for the mines.
This project was reviewed by Paul Lowe, from UAL.
Retortillo, about 70km from Salamanca, is set to be the setting for a large uranium mining project developed by Berkeley Energia, a large multinational energy conglomerate operating in the region.
The Yeltes is a small river in Salamanca, Western Spain. It joins the Huebra and leads into the Duero in its way to Portugal leading into the Atlantic Ocean.
Neighbours tell stories about the river, how its waters have been used for healing purposes since the late Roman Empire. Retortillo hosts nowadays one of the largest spa resorts in the region, strengthening an economy that is mainly based on agriculture and cattle.
Since 2017, the town has been at the centre of a large-scale uranium mining project.
"No mine"
"No mine" wooden sign in a private plot close to the balnearium outside Retortillo. The project for a uranium mine has been met with controversy by the local population.
The use of the Yeltes waters for healing purposes has been recorded since times of the Roman Empire. Outside Retortillo, a large balnearium provides jobs for 65 people.
Retortillo's economy is largely based on exploiting the land for agriculture and cattle (mostly porcine and bovine).
"It's an ambitious project that will greatly strengthen industrial activity in the area. Which is great, because this region suffered a lot during the economic crisis."
"Stop Uranium"
The platform "Stop Uranium" was built by Raquel, a shop-owner concerned about the consequences of the mining project for the local population.
"Leave", spray-painted on the road next to Berkeley's Energia offices in Retortillo.
"Leave", spray-painted on the road next to Berkeley's Energia offices in Retortillo.
"Entry is forbidden"
Berkeley has sealed-off large portions of land, and conducted large-scale felling to clear the way for the mines.
"No mine", spray-painted on the road next to Berkeley's Energia offices in Retortillo.
— Families are divided. Parents want to work the mines; children want to defend our land. They don't speak to each other anymore.
Claims of corruption loom over the project. Neighbours denounce local government employees are being paid-off to secure licenses and fend-off protesters, while several community platforms have been set up to actively oppose the project. One of them, "Stop Uranium", was built by Raquel, a shop-owner concerned about the consequences of the mining project for the local population. Raquel's shop is tended to by her mother, and sits just next to the spa. Both are now threatened by the mining project, which risks polluting the river and forcing the closure of the spa.
A sign protesting the project lays burned down outside the Berkeley Energia offices.
The local population is at a crossroads. While some point at the job- and wealth-generation potential of the project, others highlight the environmental impact and the limited economic gains for the region.
Berkeley has sealed-off large portions of land, and conducted large-scale felling to clear the way for the mines.
Claims of corruption hover over the project, with neighbours denouncing all of the local government employees have been paid-off to secure licenses and fend-off protesters.
Local ranchers claim the mining exploitation will have destructive consequences for the cattle and the soil, polluting the air, water and land.
In August 2017, Berkely Energia announced a 120 million USD deal with State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) - the sovereign wealth fund of Oman.
— Who gives them the right, anyway? Sixty-nine years I've been in this town and look at what they want to do to us. Poison us. Farmers have been working this land for centuries. I've seen the spa grow and the river heal countless people. To hell if I'm going to just sit here and watch that businessman with his shirt and his briefcase and his silly hair take it all away from me.
"Our relationship with the locals is excellent. Do you think they would have sold us their land otherwise?"
Berkeley has purchased 77 plots of land from local residents, accounting for over 650 hectares. It has also initiated a process to expropriate six plots from owners who refuse to sell them.
Graffiti and signs protesting the project are common, as are the local government's and Berkeley's efforts to take them down.
Retortillo lays within the "campo charro", a vast extension of land in the province of Salamanca dedicated to farming and agriculture, known for its milerany chestnut trees.
A graffiti in Retortillo reads "Funeral homes now! The mine is near." In the picture, "Funeral homes now!"
— You spend sixty years working the land, breaking your back, raising your children. And then, uranium guys knocks on your door, offering you thousands for your plots. You either go, or you stay and suffer the consequences.
While the project is currently halted due to licensing issues, Berkeley has already conducted large-scale felling of centuries-old trees.
