The City Council of Minas de Riotinto has sent an official communication to the company Organic Citrus expressing its concern about the maneuvers it allegedly carries out in order to dissipate clouds and prevent the much-needed water from falling in the region. Riotinto and El Campillo, through their highest municipal representatives, have held a meeting to address this situation.
The City Council believes that the company is using anti-hail rockets for this purpose in the midst of a pressing drought situation that is affecting not only the Mining Basin but also the entire province.
The City Council finds it unacceptable, under any circumstances, that the propulsion of the device in question caused by an explosive charge "causes the hail to disintegrate once the rocket reaches the cloud, since it is the hail that attracts water molecules." "And not only that, but the explosion also causes the cloud to move, so in addition to preventing the hailstorm, it causes the cloud to move away and the much-needed water does not fall in this area." The City Council says that this already happened last winter on several occasions and "we do not want this situation to continue this year."
The City Council asks Organic Citrus, formerly Río Tinto Fruit, to consider the increasingly worrying situation. And it reminds the company that it does not have a registered office in Minas de Río Tinto.
The City Council demands that the agricultural company provide an explanation and "stop this harmful practice for the well-being of our neighbours and for the environment."