Residents allege that Corticeira Amorim Cork Insulation did not comply with the plan presented to eliminate smoke by the end of August 2023.
Residents of Vale da Lama, in the municipality of Silves, renewed their demand this Friday to stop the smoke emission from the local Amorim Group cork factory, contesting the repeated delays in resolving the issue.
“Several dozen residents are losing trust in the company after it committed to solving the problem in 2023,” said Nuno Neves, spokesperson for the residents, at the end of a meeting at Silves City Hall.
The residents, who created a civic group called “The Factory Neighbours”, claim that Corticeira Amorim Cork Insulation did not follow the plan presented to the City Council and the Regional Development Coordination Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve to eliminate smoke by the end of August 2023.
The smoke and noise emissions from the factory, which is dedicated to producing cork insulation agglomerate in Vale da Lama, have been the cause of complaints from residents for several years.
According to Nuno Neves, in another periodic meeting with the CCDR, the Silves Municipality and residents, the company committed this time “to put an end to smoke by June 2025”.
“The company alleged problems with the installation of special filters to eliminate smoke; however, it promised that the matter was being addressed and will be resolved next year,” he said.
Residents’ complaints prompted the municipality to step in as a mediator between the cork company, residents, the Algarve CCDR, and the Pestana Group, which has a golf course impacted by the smoke.
Nuno Neves explained that “the problem was not completely resolved” but that there was “a reduction in white smoke and a noise reduction”.
To advocate for an end to the smoke and the “environmental discomfort it causes,” those residing near the factory gather at the entrance of the City Hall on meeting days.
Their spokesperson said that “the residents’ trust in the company has been declining as its commitment to end the problem was largely overdue”, but “they will patiently await the new date”.
Meanwhile, he said a new meeting has already been scheduled for the beginning of November for Corticeira Amorim to give a new update.
