The Ministry of Environment of the Junta de Andalucia has sanctioned the municipal cemetery in Granada for the excessive emission of pollutants into the atmosphere from the cremations carried out in the cemetery.
The emissions have apparently exceeded the levels permitted by the regional government and European environmental regulations.
The sanction is the culmination of administrative proceedings initiated in 2009. The municipal company in charge of managing the site, Emucesa, had not submitted the necessary environmental reports on air emissions, a mandatory step, and as an alternative the regional technicians carried out a number of tests at the facility.
The results of the tests were that emissions were above the permitted levels on a number of occasions. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated and Emucesa were given a month to take corrective measures to reduce emissions. Nothing was done and the Junta de Andalucia imposed two sanctions on Emucesa.
The more serious charge relates to pollution, the more minor charge relates to failing to provide an environmental report.
Emucesa has made several appeals but these have been dismissed. One of the claims made by Emucesa is that the financial crisis has led to many more cremations rather than burials, this in turn leading to more emissions.
However, since the Junta de Andalucia considers this trend to be ongoing, they insist on the need for corrective action, such as putting filters on the chimneys of the crematorium amongst other things.
The potential fines for such infringements range from €60,000 to €300,000, although the Junta de Andalucia would prefer to see initiatives to reduce the pollution levels rather than the issuing of punitive fines.