Amie KeeleyTHE US has finally agreed to help clean up land it contaminated with nuclear bombs in Almeria.
It will ‘co-operate’ with Spain to remove toxic plutonium near Palomares.
A total of 60 hectares of land were contaminated after a B-52 bomber and tanker collided in 1966 detonating two explosives.
After the accident, America removed 1,300 cubic metres of soil, but Spain is demanding the remaining 6,000 cubic metres are taken away.
A US spokesman confirmed both countries would now split the cost of the clean-up, estimated at 31 million euros.
We first visited the Palmonares area sometime before the year 2000. We took a particular interest in it as it was so unspoilt. It was just like the old Spain we had heard and seen pictures of. No apartment blocks, no marinas, no golf courses, urbanisations. We also noted a desalination plant in the area.(never used) There were few people. We drove on down to Aguilas and apart for the pretty town plaza, we noticed a number of cancer clinics, which we thought unusual. We did intend to buy in the vicinity as it was so totally unlike the tourist areas we had found elsewhere. We did out research and found out about the 1966 Palomares incident. We wondered how such and area had remained so untouched and now we knew.
We were very surprised a couple of years later when we re-visited and noticed all the nearby construction. But more interesting was the production of vegetables under cloches by the river bed. The agricultural workers were all Moroccan. We have not eaten vegetables or tomatoes (that we know)from there since.
A similar environmental disaster happened around the Love Canal in NY State years ago, after homes were built over the contaminated water table. After 40 years, the sick residents are still being treated and paid off… IF still alive.
“Splitting a $31MM cleanup cost” here – Spain got the short end of the straw!
Can this story be reignited as Palomares is still contaminated because of the USA! They still need to remove a lot of contaminated soil! Until then this remains ‘the most radiactive town in Europe.’
come on folks – how many millions do you think the Americanos have already payed to some tio or other to make this go away ?
They just didn’t get a factura ………