Palomares housing project faces opposition over radioactive contamination risks

The environmental association Salvemos Mojácar has issued a warning against a proposed construction project of 1,600 homes on Palomares beach in Almería, Spain. The group claims the development site is adjacent to water runoff paths originating from one of the most radioactive areas in the region. They argue that for over 60 years, radioactive particles have been dispersed through both wind and water runoff, potentially burying contamination in the soil intended for urbanization.

Activists have accused the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) of withholding information and providing false reports to favor urban development interests. While the CSN stated that radiation levels outside restricted zones are comparable to natural background levels, Salvemos Mojácar contends that the land has not been adequately measured or included in official monitoring plans. The association is demanding that CIEMAT clearly identify contaminated zones and calling for an immediate halt to the project to prevent what they describe as potential ecological collapse.