Huelva is a city in the south-west of Spain (Andalusia) which is located at the confluence and mouth of two rivers, the Tinto and the Odiel which flow into the Atlantic, surrounded by natural protected areas of paramount importance because of their high ecological value, such as “Marismas del Odiel” (the Odiel Wetlands) and “Parque Nacional de Doñana” (the Doñana National Park). The waters from the two rivers and the protected wetlands (under European legislation) carry a high level of chemical and radioactive pollution. During 40 years, the Odiel and its wetlands are being affected by millions of tonnes of industrial dumps and the Tinto has a pollutant load of phosphogypsum, which is stored in stacks and Cesium -137 radioactive ashes.

The phosphogypsum stacks are 120 millions of tonnes of waste material which is pollutant, toxic and radioactive. Since 1963, this waste material is dumped by the Fertiberia Factory (which fabricates fertilizants) into the river Tinto wetlands, which is a public space next to the city of Huelva (150,000 inhabitants) comprising an area of 1,200 hectares which is bigger than the one comprising the city. This matter happens in collusion with the Andalusia Regional Government (Junta de Andalucía) and the Spanish Central Government, as well as with their complicity and silence. Today, in 2008, the Fertiberia Factory continues its illegal dumps, since the Spanish Central Government does not carry out the sentence from the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) in July 2007, which states the prohibition of such dumps.

- http://www.mesadelaria.es/documentos/20070628_Sentencia-fertiberia.pdf   

WWF/Adena:

- http://www.wwf.es/noticia.php?codigo=1125

The radioactive dumps of Cesium-137 were made next to the phosphogypsum stacks at the right bank of the river Tinto, after an accident of Acerinox in Los Barrios (Cádiz) in 1998, which produced a radioactive cloud that was detected in Europe (France, Germany…) before it was detected by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear Español), a body who was finally responsible for burying 7,000 tonnes polluted with this artificial radioactive isotope in the Tinto wetlands, and being only 500 metres away from the inhabited areas, by scorning the effects on the environment and the health of the people.

October-2007. Greenpeace discovers radioactive escape of Cesium-137 into the river Tinto.

- http://www.greenpeace.org/espana/news/greenpeace-descubre-fugas-de-c

December-2007. Report from the prestigious laboratory CRIIRAD (France) ordered by Greenpeace-Spain: Experts who recommend to move the phosphogypsum. Dumps of Cesium-137 – Unload report (PDF)

- In Spanish: http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/espana/reports/comisi-n-de-investigaci-n-e-in.pdf

- In French: http://www.criirad.org/actualites/dossiers%202007/huelva-gpce/rapport07-117_huelva.pdf

The Regional Goverment (Junta de Andalucía) denies that very high cancer mortality in the area of Huelva, indicated in several reports from official bodies, such as the National Centre for Epidemiology from the Carlos III Health Institute (Centro Nacional de Epidemiología del Instituto de Salud Carlos III), which depends on the Ministry of Health, is related to this industry which is contaminating to us daily. However, an epidemiology study demanded by the citizens which was prepared by the Regional Administration in 1989 is not carried out either.

1. -http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/contaminacion/industrial/multiplica/tumores/Cataluna/Huelva/Asturias/elpepusoc/20070831elpepisoc_2/Tes
   

- http://www.mesadelaria.es/images/stories/mesadelaria/documentos/1989-informe-epidemiologico.pdf

Please help us to disseminate this health and environmental catastrophe which the Spanish Authorities are hiding throughout Europe, by forwarding this documentation to all your contacts.

What'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?....

"Hard Rain”, Bob Dylan & Expo Zaragoza 2008 (Spain)