The fire that originated in the Secomsa plant in Botarell in Baix Camp (Tarragona) in April 2023 is still burning "internally and slowly" a year later.
The firefighters have confirmed that the decision was made to let it burn, since its extinction "was not feasible due to the very high volume of solids in combustion" and because a "disproportionate" amount of water was required.
The environmental group Gepec regretted that a situation "resulting from poor waste management" has been normalized, since the plant concentrates "large" volumes of batteries that prevent the area from being delimited in the event of self-combustion. Some arguments that refute the management company, Secomsa, ensuring that the batteries are "sufficiently" separated.
The president of Gepec, Xavi Jiménez, has denounced that "it is not normal for a fire to be burning for a year" and "without the ability to extinguish it."
For Jiménez, what happened is a reflection of "worrying" waste management, considering that the plant has "large" volumes of organic matter that do not allow the area to be delimited in the event of a fire.
He has attributed these "bulky" batteries to the low quality of the compound. As detailed, the remains arrive at the plant with many inappropriate elements - especially plastics - since "from origin we do not select the organic matter well", and "this causes low-quality composting to be produced and with little commercial outlet. ". "Farmers no longer go to Secomsa to look for compost, because no one wants to fill their farms with plastics," he stated.
