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article_detail
Date Published: 19/07/2021
ARCHIVED - Alicante firms in electrical waste pollution probe
Six companies in Alicante investigated over environmental crimes.
Six companies in Alicante are amongst 22 firms in Spain being investigated on suspicion of polluting the atmosphere with more than 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide through the incorrect treatment of hazardous waste from electrical goods and equipment.
During an international year-long probe, launched by the Guardia Civil's environmental unit, Seprona, investigators discovered almost 600 tonnes of electrical compressors had been shipped from Spain to Pakistan without first being decontaminated.
In addition, more than 15,000 of these compressors have been found at firms in Alicante, Murcia, Valencia, Almeria, Albacete, Ciudad Real and Mallorca, all of which are now under investigation.
In the majority of the cases, Seprona discovered the companies did not have the required authorisation for the treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and more worryingly, the most common method used by these firms is known as 'cannibalisation', which involves breaking the appliances with force or cutting cables to remove copper and other valuable parts from inside.
Discarded pieces were apparently then shipped to a dismantling plant in Pakistan - without the proper documentation - for smelting.
Seprona has warned that smashing compressors of electrical appliances or other components without the right tools causes the escape of polluting gases into the atmosphere and the discharge of hazardous oils into the soil.
IMAGE: Guardia Civil
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