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TSJA annuls key expropriations for Malaga's wastewater treatment plant

The High Court of Justice of Andalusia sides with residents, overturning processes linked to an already invalidated project.

Generic image of an infrastructure construction site with heavy machinery.
IA

Generic image of an infrastructure construction site with heavy machinery.

The High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) has annulled expropriations related to Malaga's northern wastewater treatment plant, a crucial project for treating residual waters in the province.

The High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) has issued a new unfavorable ruling for the construction of the wastewater treatment plant in the Vega de Mestanza, annulling the expropriation processes. The court considers these expropriations to be intrinsically linked to the initial project, which had already been invalidated by the same court. This decision adds a new obstacle to what is considered the largest hydraulic work in the province of Malaga.
The Junta de Andalucía, promoter of the project, appealed the first ruling to the Supreme Court on September 10. Now, the TSJA has once again ruled in favor of the residents, also ordering the administration to pay 2,000 euros in costs. The residents' defense expresses confidence in the difficulty of the Supreme Court admitting the administration's appeal, given the limited number of cases that pass this filter.
The Junta insists on the necessity of this large treatment plant, with an investment of 105 million euros, to prevent the discharge of untreated wastewater into the Guadalhorce River. Currently, 5.9 cubic hectometers, equivalent to 1,750 Olympic swimming pools, of wastewater from municipalities such as Torremolinos, Cártama, Alhaurín el Grande, Alhaurín de la Torre, and part of the capital are discharged annually. These discharges incur an annual fine of nearly 1.3 million euros for non-compliance with European regulations.
Residents oppose the location in the Vega de Mestanza, described as the last remaining floodplain in Malaga and an area of "high ecological value" and prone to flooding. They argue that the environmental impact assessment conducted by the Junta focused on economic reasons and did not adequately evaluate alternatives, despite the Vega de Mestanza being designated as part of the World Biological Corridor.
The TSJA criticizes the Junta for the lack of a comprehensive study of alternatives and the prioritization of economic motives over environmental protection. Although the court did not find the Junta to lack competence in approving the preliminary project, it did emphasize the need to consider all viable options.