Local council annuls environmental licence
The full municipal council of La Selva del Camp has unanimously declared the environmental licence for Valogreene Econova's proposed pyrolysis plant null and void, following a plenary session held on Wednesday 9 September 2026. The decision, adopted without opposition from any political group represented, including PSC, ERC, Junts and CUP, maintains a provisional suspension of the licence that was first imposed on 30 July 2026. The council cited legal irregularities in the authorisation process, including the absence of a required procedural step identified by the Baix Camp comarcal environmental technical body.
Regional scrutiny and next steps
The move follows a July 2026 request by the Catalan Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition to review the licence, on the grounds that the project should have undergone a simplified environmental impact assessment. Valogreene Econova now has ten days to submit any observations or arguments it deems relevant. After this period, the full case file will be transferred to the Comissió Jurídica Assessora de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the regional government’s legal advisory body, which will issue a definitive ruling on the validity of the licence cancellation.
The council has safeguarded administrative legality from the outset. We could not arbitrarily deny a licence if requirements were met, but we had a duty to verify legal and environmental guarantees.
The statement was made by Enric Roberto, mayor of La Selva del Camp, who stressed the municipality’s commitment to due process amid strong public concern.
Public opposition and broader council decisions
The session drew members of the local citizens’ group 'No a Valogreene', who displayed banners opposing the plant’s installation in the Xalamec industrial estate. Residents have previously raised concerns about the chemical nature of the proposed pyrolysis facility, which aimed to process 80,000 tonnes of industrial waste annually using pyrolytic oil technology. The council also used the plenary to declare the former municipal slaughterhouse, now repurposed as the Casa de la Festa, a local asset of cultural interest. It approved the 2025 general accounts and noted the resignation of councillor Arantxa Salvat (PSC) for personal and family reasons.
Primary sources: dtes.gencat.cat, portaljuridic.gencat.cat, patrimonifestiu.cultura.gencat.cat. Reported by reusdigital.cat, Tarragona21, modernetdigital.cat, canalreus.cat, diaridetarragona.com, ecoticias.com, tuplanetasostenible.com, residuosprofesional.com, Greene.
