Key facts
- Protests took place in Catalonia, Spain, against Iberpotash (ICL) salt mines.
- Environmental concerns include waste leaching into the Llobregat river and water usage.
- Protesters are also demonstrating against ICL's production of white phosphorus.
- White phosphorus use by the Israeli army has been documented in Lebanon and Gaza.
- ICL has a contract to supply white phosphorus to the US Army.
Protests have taken place in Catalonia, Spain, targeting the salt mining operations of Iberpotash, the Iberian branch of Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL). Activists are denouncing both the environmental damage caused by the mines and the company's alleged production of white phosphorus, a chemical used by the Israeli army.
Up to a thousand people gathered between April 17 and 19 in Bages county, near Barcelona, to protest the continued operation of the salt mines. Local platforms have long complained about pollution from the mines, citing mountains of waste that have leached into the Llobregat river over two decades, exacerbated by the company's significant water usage in a drought-prone region.
The protests also focused on ICL's production of white phosphorus, a highly incendiary substance that causes severe burns. Human rights organizations have documented its use by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The article notes that the Palestinian territories have suffered environmental damage and resource diversion by Israel, with a Palestinian academic stating that Israeli bombing alone has produced more greenhouse gases than Spain's total annual emissions.
The Iberian Mining Observatory reports that spoil heaps from the mines, primarily sodium chloride, dissolve into brine that pollutes groundwater and rivers in the Llobregat basin. The operations have also been linked to worker safety issues, with eight deaths recorded between 2011 and 2023. The European Commission previously initiated infringement proceedings against Spain in 2014 for non-compliance with EU directives on mineral resources and later found that Iberpotash had received illegal state aid.
ICL's connection to white phosphorus munitions has been highlighted by organizations like Amnesty International. While some investors deny direct manufacturing, ICL has acknowledged a contract to supply white phosphorus to the US Army from 2020 to 2025, though the company claims supplies ended in 2023. A spokesperson for Revoltes de la Terra criticized the Catalan government's complicity in allowing potash shipments from ICL.
Concerns about ICL's activities are not new; in 2014, a New Zealand MP attempted to have the company removed from the country's sovereign wealth fund due to suspicions of military product use. A recent documentary, 'Sal a la ferida' (Salt in the Wound), features accounts from individuals affected by the crisis in Bages and Baix Llobregat. Researchers suggest that white phosphorus supplied to the US is resold to the Israeli army by another US company. During the protest camp, participants engaged in activities including talks, workshops, and direct actions like climbing waste tips and dismantling railway lines used for transporting mine materials.