The return of the Manacor – Artà train would cause a permanent, irreversible and unrecoverable environmental impact.

With these words; irreversible, unrecoverable, permanent environmental impact, concludes the environment impact study of the re-opening project for the Manacor – Artá line. This notice has been publicly displayed in the offices of the (Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca) as mentioned in the BOIB of 24 February.

The Anti Train Association – Xarxa de Mobilitat de Llevant have fully analysed the re-opening of the Manacor – Artá railway project and wants the most significant impacts to be known to the public. The Study of environmental impact has been carried out by the company contracted by the Consejería de Movilidad y Ordenación del Territorio del Govern de las Illes Balears. The Association just wants the results to be available to the public, the environmental authorities and the media.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS OF THE RE-OPENING OF THE

MANACOR – ARTÁ RAILWAY

CONSTRUCTION OF MORE ROADS & LANES

• There will have to be 46 roads and bylanes built according to the environmental impact study carried out by government engineers. According to our calculations this is equivalent to building 40 kilometres of new roadway.

DESTABILISATION & EROSION

• Possible destabilisation and subsidence are unfavourable for the construction of the railway.

• Risk of erosion and of instability of slopes, caused by land manipulation.

WATER: CONTAMINATIÓN & FLOW DISRUPTION

• Risk of contamination of aquifers.

• Disruption and depressurisation of waterways.

BIRD ELECTROCUTION

• Risk of electric shock to birds.

VISUALLY INTRUSIVE

• Impact on the countryside: alteration of landscape, aesthetically unappealing.

POORER AIR QUALITY

• Impact on the air quality, increase in the levels of emissions of contamination and dust.

SPECULATION & LACK OF MOBILITY

• Potential changes in the distribution of the population

• Impact on urban locations, alteration of urban paperwork.

• Increase in vehicular traffic

• Mobility effects. Effect of the barrier generated especially by railways. The interception points with the railway will increase access times between various areas, also the interceptions of lanes and roads with the railway will need altering, affecting transit in the area disrupting the normal activities of the people in the surrounding areas

MORE QUARRIES

• It will be necessary to bring 206.854,38m³ of earth and gravel from quarries in the area

DESTRUCTION OF THE FAUNA & FLORA

• Affected Fauna: 2 amphibians, 3 types of reptiles, 16 types of mammals and 53 classes of bird

• Destruction: partial or total removal of the soil layer

• Within the project’s reach there are 4 habitats of community interest

AGRICULTURE & NATURAL DISASTERS

• Permanent loss of productive and fertile ground

• Risk of flooding

• Distribution of species with high colonisation characteristics will alter the natural balance of the countryside

In the document in the following link (document in Castellano) the page numbers from where this information has been extracted have been rigorously noted.