Alenquer residents oppose planned biomethane plant in Marés
Residents of Alenquer criticised a planned biomethane plant during a council meeting, citing fears of bad odours, heavy truck traffic and harm to local water lines. The €20.5 million project by Gás da Terra would process 84,000 tonnes of agricultural effluent yearly in Marés, producing biomethane and biofertiliser. Mayor João Nicolau said the council has only approved a preliminary information request, not construction, and shares residents' concerns, insisting the company must guarantee no odour impact. The project is open for public consultation until 15 September, with environmental licensing decisions expected by mid-2027.
Mortágua council to rehabilitate wastewater treatment plant
Mortágua council will proceed with the rehabilitation of its wastewater treatment plant (ETAR), costing around one million euros, after receiving clearance from the Court of Auditors. The works, awarded in June, have a 365-day execution period and are described by the council as the largest single intervention ever made to the municipality's wastewater system. The upgrade aims to modernise equipment and expand capacity to serve current and future population needs. The council also cited recent investments in sanitation networks and pumping stations, plus a separate project to rehabilitate 32 kilometres of the municipality's waterways.
Water utility and Penalva do Castelo plan supply system expansion
Águas do Douro e Paiva met with the mayor of Penalva do Castelo to discuss the municipality's water supply needs and challenges. The session, attended by the utility's board chairman Bruno Coimbra and vice-chairman Fernando Vasconcelos alongside technical staff, focused on consolidating information and the timeline for a project to expand the multi-municipal water system. Coimbra said the meeting built on previous work with the council, including an earlier visit by the mayor to the Lever water treatment plant, and stressed that mutual understanding is essential for planning the next steps carefully.
Santa Cruz spends €164,000 to cut wildfire fuel load
The Santa Cruz municipal council, in Madeira, has completed works to clear waterways and reduce fuel load in urban areas, covering 5,677 metres across 11 stretches in five parishes at a cost of about €82,000. Alongside this, safety strips totalling nearly 44,000 square metres were created along roads at Caminhos da Torre and do Lombo, in Gaula, for €81,900. Both projects, together worth roughly €164,000, aim to lower fire risk, improve water drainage and ease access for emergency services ahead of the high-risk fire season.
Portuguese emigrant in US launches fire detector charity
Marcos Antunes, an entrepreneur from Leiria who emigrated to the US as a teenager, founded the New Jersey-based charity United to Live in January to tackle Portugal's roughly 40 annual deaths from urban fires, mostly in winter. Funded by US donations, the foundation buys EU-certified smoke detectors in Portugal and distributes them free, working with local councils, parish councils and civil protection services. Around 700 units are given out per session, prioritising elderly people, those with disabilities and low-income families. It also runs a scheme supplying detectors to firefighters for their own homes, and plans to extend distribution to home-care services and local accommodation providers.
