The Ter Defense Group meets with parliamentary groups
The Ter Defense Group (GDT) has called a meeting with several parliamentary groups to inform them about the pollution situation of the Sant Martí creek in Esquirol (Osona). In this meeting, the GDT will expose the impacts of the alleged pollution of the stream by the Patel slaughterhouse, owned by the Vall Companys group. This case is currently immersed in a judicial process after the prosecution filed a complaint in 2022 for an alleged crime against natural resources and the environment.
The court case and the allegations of the GDT
The Sant Martí creek pollution case was reported by the Ter Defense Group, which filed a complaint against the Patel slaughterhouse. According to the GDT, the slaughterhouse is causing irreversible damage to the stream and preventing its recovery. In addition, the organization has commissioned a report to show that the stream is totally polluted.
Meetings with parliamentary groups
With the aim of publicizing the case and warning about the impacts of the industrial agri-food model, the GDT has met with several parliamentary groups. In these meetings, the GDT has presented the case of the Esquirol and has asked the political parties to point out the big consumers of water in Catalonia, such as the meat industry. The entity warns that in a context of drought and climate change, the agro-industry continues to consume large volumes of water, putting the public’s water supply at risk.
Report on the pollution of the stream
The GDT has acted as a public prosecution in the case against the Patel slaughterhouse and has commissioned a report from the emeritus professor of Ecology at the University of Barcelona Narcís Prat. This report shows that the stream of Sant Martí is totally polluted and that the slaughterhouse is affecting the Sau swamp. According to Prat, the purification of the water is not done properly and this causes the water that reaches the swamp to be contaminated. This pollution affects the quality of the water that is treated for human consumption.
Defense of the company
The Patel company has defended its practices and has ensured that it complies with all current environmental regulations. According to the company, they have always passed the inspections and collaborate with the Catalan Water Agency to ensure that the procedures are carried out correctly.