Residents demand justice after nightmare farm conditions make everyday life impossible: 'Even the idea of walking ... has become unfeasible'
Residents of Madrid, with the help of environmental groups, are suing the Spanish state and the Galician region over the mismanagement of pollution caused by pig farming.
As Reuters reported, the case argues that the authorities' inaction in Europe's largest pork-producing country breached national and European law. This case was filed with the High Court of Justice of the Northwestern region, which is home to about a third of Spain's pig farms.
ClientEarth, one of the plaintiffs supporting the case, said in a statement that this is the "first time a court in Europe will hear a case on the human rights impacts of intensive livestock operations on water sources."
Due to pollution from the hundreds of irresponsible pig and poultry farms, people in Northwestern Galicia's A Limia area said life has become "unfeasible." Despite these farms endangering the health of their community, officials continue to approve the addition of new local farms.
Not only is an unbearable stench in the air preventing residents from opening their windows, but the farms are also contaminating the water with dangerous chemicals.
"Both the Spanish constitution and European law could not be clearer: Public authorities have a legal obligation to protect people from harm — and even from exposure to harmful pollution," ClientEarth lawyer Nieves Noval said, per Reuters.
Over 20,000 people are living in an area with high levels of cancer-causing nitrates, as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria and hepatotoxin, which is a highly toxic material that can cause severe liver damage. This not only puts those who have used the water in danger, but it also renders the water unusable.
Pablo Alvarez Veloso, president of the local neighbourhood association, was quoted by Reuters as saying, "We are so concerned about the pollution that even the idea of walking near the reservoir has become unfeasible."
This isn't the only place this problem exists, either. Massive farms run by companies like Perdue are polluting ecosystems, creating health risks, and lowering the quality of life for nearby residents across the globe.
This lawsuit is meant to hold both the European and Spanish legislation accountable for the mistreatment of residents. Residents hope it will repair the harm done to the community and prevent further damage from these farming practices.
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Galicia authorities said they are in talks with pig farmers and local governing bodies to find a happy medium and stated that the national government should also be held accountable.
Environmental groups and residents are also taking action elsewhere in the world — in Oregon and Michigan, for example — to pass laws and hold farms to stricter standards of waste management.
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