Nearly 2,000 people protested on Saturday in Carrascosa del Campo, Cuenca, against seven biogas plant projects in the Campos del Paraíso area. Residents decry risks of pollution from odors, waste transport and digestate use on soils and aquifers. The march was backed by 40 local associations.
In Campos del Paraíso, a Cuenca municipality with about 600 residents spread across five villages including Carrascosa del Campo, Loranca del Campo and Olmedilla del Campo, locals oppose three biogas plants under review, plus four more in nearby towns like Tarancón and Huelves. Organizers said Saturday's demonstration in Carrascosa del Campo drew 1,800 participants marching through the streets.
Residents fear odors, heavy truck traffic carrying thousands of tons of pig manure —90,000 for ENCE's plant alone, sited 2.5 km from homes— and soil contamination. "If we spread more digestate on farmland, we couldn't turn on the tap," warned Carlos Muñoz, spokesperson for the Campos del Paraíso Rural Community Neighborhood Association, citing antibiotics and metals in the residue.
Local farmer Agustín Valencia said the digestate is marketed as biofertilizer but is actually waste. Sonia Isidro, a Loranca del Campo resident, doubted local job creation and project transparency. Altogether, seven plants within a 30 km radius would handle one million tons of imported waste, per locals.
The neighborhood platform has gathered over 4,000 Change.org signatures. Campos del Paraíso Mayor Francisco Javier del Saz (PP) backs residents and plans legal hurdles like waste ordinances. Castilla-La Mancha's regional government is drafting a regulatory decree, allowing town halls to block projects via urban planning rules.
