Boticas, Portugal, May 26, 2026 (Lusa) - The Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB) association accused Savannah Resources on Tuesday of violating the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) for the Barroso mine in Boticas by carrying out land clearing during a critical period for local fauna.
Savannah Resources, when contacted by Lusa, said that it carries out all works in "strict compliance with applicable environmental obligations."
The association, established in Covas do Barroso, Vila Real district, said in a press release that “the ongoing deforestation work, carried out under an administrative easement, explicitly violates the established restrictions, which stipulate that such activities may only take place between 1 September and 15 March, outside the critical periods for local wildlife.”
"For us, this mine project has been, from the very beginning, a disrespect to the local community," UDCB member Aida Fernandes stated in the release. "It is imposed on us as being of supposed public interest, but then there is no adequate inspection. What is happening now is yet another example. In practice, the local population has been monitoring the works. There is no serious inspection by the responsible entities."
The Barroso mine, where Savannah intends to extract lithium, received a conditional favourable DIA in May 2023, the association said.
One of the conditions dictates that “deforestation may only take place between 1 September and 15 March, outside the critical nesting season for the birdlife native to the area in question, as well as the breeding season for the wolf and wildlife species in general.”
Savannah Resources received a second administrative easement in early May, granting the company access to private and common land to conduct drilling and geotechnical work.
Following this, the local community reported observing field interventions over recent days involving vegetation clearing. This activity "disturbs natural habitats during an environmentally sensitive period, precisely when several protected species are breeding and nesting."
"This is yet another unfounded accusation by the UDCB, part of its effort to spread disinformation and distrust, which will, unfortunately, continue throughout the works. It would have been enough for this group to dialogue with the company to clarify any questions, avoiding the humiliation of spreading lies in the public sphere, but such an effort of dialogue would not allow them to obtain the media exposure they so desperately seek," Savannah said.
The company said that the current works are carried out under the DIA issued in 2005, which serves as the instrument that frames and authorises the interventions currently underway on the ground. Savannah explained that the 2023 document corresponds to a DIA in the preliminary study phase, integrated into the ongoing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. The firm said that this "does not, by itself, constitute an enabling title for the execution of construction works or implementation of the project on the ground," as they are "distinct instruments."
Savannah reported that the DIA "expressly determines that intervention areas must be confined to the smallest possible space and that the destruction of vegetation cover must be limited to strictly necessary areas, principles that are being fully observed."
The works "currently underway relate to very small-scale interventions, distinct, by their nature and scale, from the operations planned for the future construction phase of the project," it said.
Catarina Alves, also a member of the association, described the situation as "a badly managed process from the beginning, with rushed licencing and a lack of inspection." Consequently, the UDCB demanded the "immediate interruption of the deforestation works."
Savannah intends to start construction in 2027 and achieve the first production in 2028.
PLI/RYOL // ADB.
Lusa
