Environment minister vows to overcome Albufeira's halt on Algarve desalination plant works

Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho said the government will do everything to overcome the stop-work order Albufeira's town hall announced on the Algarve desalination plant, and refused to take part in political games. She said she learned of the decision from a video by the mayor, Rui Cristina, who cites a breach of the municipal master plan. Early legal advice suggests the order applies to the land rather than to the works themselves, so most construction could continue. The mayor says he does not oppose the plant but wants the outfall extended and brine discharged deeper and further offshore. The minister says the government has legal remedies and has won previous challenges.