Spanish Government tenders environmental impact study for León-Asturias train tunnel

The Spanish government has launched a tender for a complementary study to assess the environmental impact of the train tunnel connecting León and Asturias. The study, valued at 25,410 euros, will focus on approximately 8,000 hectares in the upper Bernesga basin.

The investigation aims to catalog the effects on meadows and community interest habitats, specifically analyzing their dependence on groundwater, springs, and surface waters. It will include a retrospective analysis of habitats from the year 2000 to the present.

The tender follows two decades after a tunnel boring machine disrupted local springs in the Bernesga headwaters, altering water flows toward the Cantabrian Sea. The project seeks to evaluate the long-term consequences on the ecosystem and local pastures resulting from these hydrological changes.