The fight by Mijas residents to bring a permanent end to the extraction at the El Puerto quarry has stepped up after the announcement that the current closure date will be extended. In a letter to the Andalusian Ombudsman the protesters are asking for every possible help in their fight. They outline the actions that have taken place in recent years which have brought to a head the move to bring the quarrying to an end and restore the site. They cite the action initiated by the company, Dolomitas España S.A. in March 2002 at which time a closure date of 31st December 2008 was set. This case was dismissed in 2007 and requests made to the authorities that every possible step be taken to ensure the rapid and permanent closure of El Puerto quarry.

It was as a result of this ruling that a contract was signed between the Town Hall and the company that work would cease at the end of 2008, but on Monday an extension was awarded until June 2010. The company says that the work to restore the quarry site has been delayed because of the fall in demand for stone in the current economic climate and they need more time. The residents are not convinced and have asked for meetings to clarify, saying that their rights as residents have been totally ignored, along with their physical and mental health.

In their letter to the Ombudsman they cite the “helplessness” they feel and the lack of control over their lives. They talk of the silence of the Junta de Andalucía on the matter and the numerous approaches to the town’s mayor, on behalf of all the interested parties, requesting a meeting, which to date, has not produced a response.