Regional authority confirms breaches at Amarsul's Moita-Palmela landfill after environmental group's complaints
Lisbon and Tagus Valley's regional coordination commission (CCDR-LVT) has told the environmental association ZERO that inspections found illegalities at the Amarsul landfill in Moita-Palmela, including breaches of its licence conditions and of the landfill waste regime. Legal procedures have been started. ZERO says the core problem is the dumping of organic waste that has not been stabilised, banned since 2020. It wants the plant's mechanical and biological treatment unit enlarged and door-to-door bio-waste collection expanded, with pay-as-you-throw tariffs. Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente data show Amarsul sent 75% of the region's urban waste to landfill in 2024, including 112,000 tonnes untreated.
Campaigners say 10 working days is too short to scrutinise reduced Sophia solar plant
A civic platform defending the Tejo Internacional Natural Park says residents have only ten working days, until 21 October, to comment on the reworked Sophia solar plant. It would span Fundão, Idanha-a-Nova and Penamacor in the Beira Baixa. The British developer cut installed capacity by 34%, but campaigners note the substation keeps its size and transformation capacity, with reserve bays for future wind and solar expansion. They suggest the project may be being split up, raising questions under the environmental impact assessment rules, and say health risks remain insufficiently assessed. They urge citizens to take part.
Leiria's urban islands and air-quality sensors sit idle despite 2023 launch
The Ilhas Urbanas installed in central parts of Leiria, presented with considerable fanfare in 2023, are now under maintenance and seem to have been left to fend for themselves. The same appears to be true of five sensors that monitor air quality, noise and traffic. They are located on Avenida 25 de Abril, in Arrabalde, at Largo Cónego Maia, on the Hintze Ribeiro bridge and on Rua Roberto Ivens, and they are reportedly not collecting any data.
GNR identifies suspect in illegal dumping case after Ribeira Brava clean-up
Police have identified a suspect for illegally dumping waste in the hills and watercourses of Ribeira Brava, Madeira. The case emerged from a clean-up carried out in August and September by the municipality with the regional waste company ARM, with the GNR and its nature protection service SEPNA alongside. Around seven tonnes were collected, including mattresses, household appliances and construction and demolition debris, then taken to the western transfer station at Meia Légua. Legal proceedings against the suspect have begun. The council is urging residents to report dumping and says it will keep up inspections and clean-ups.
Unlabelled olive oil jugs raise traceability questions in Portugal
Unlabelled five-litre jugs of "homemade" olive oil remain a common sight at Portuguese fairs and roadsides. Once such oil is sold rather than consumed at home, EU and national rules require labelling, a stated category and origin, a batch number and an identified operator, so any problem can be traced. Spain's 1981 toxic oil syndrome, which killed hundreds, showed what untraceable cooking oil can do. In 2024, ASAE opened 84 criminal and 51 administrative cases and seized over 149,000 litres. The author asks how many olive oil packers Portugal has formally approved, as Spain has done with 1,788 registered.
Lisbon mayor Moedas announces suspension of shared e-scooter system
Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas announced on Thursday that the city's shared e-scooter system will be suspended. In a short video posted late in the day, he said the system "is not working" and pointed to scooters ridden against traffic, dangerous behaviour, more accidents and vehicles left abandoned in public space. According to him, more than 1,200 scooters are collected every month. Automóvel Club de Portugal figures record 1,369 scooter accidents in 2024, with 58 serious injuries and three deaths. A 15-year-old died last month after crashing on a scooter.
Housing protesters in Porto plan another night in Praça D. João I, without tents
Thousands joined a housing-rights protest in Porto, and an assembly decided that people would sleep in Praça D. João I again, this time without pitching tents. The crowd briefly spilled on to Avenida dos Aliados, blocking traffic outside the town hall for about ten minutes, and one person was treated after a scuffle. Police kept their distance, unlike on previous nights. Another protest is set for Thursday, and organisers will join the CGTP march on Saturday. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro asked protesters not to be selfish about public order; PCP leader Paulo Raimundo called him the real egoist.
Historian Raquel Varela weighs in on Porto's housing protests
Historian Raquel Varela has commented on the demonstrations over housing held in Porto, assessing what they mean for the debate on the issue. She suggests the real question is why people are only now taking to the streets, given how severe the housing situation in Portugal has become.
Complaints against Portugal's Climate Agency rise 30% in 2026, led by E-LAR scheme
The Portal da Queixa consumer platform had logged 52 complaints against Portugal's Climate Agency by 7 October 2026, against 40 in all of 2025. The main grievances are poor service and customer support, slow assessment of applications, platform outages and late payment of grants. The E-LAR programme draws the most complaints, at nearly a third, while Mobilidade Verde has jumped from 2.5% to 17.3% of the total. Porto and Lisbon now account for half of all complaints, and the agency holds a satisfaction index of 19.7%.
Savannah's Boticas lithium mine completes definitive feasibility study, with 500 direct jobs planned
Savannah Resources has finished the Definitive Feasibility Study for its Boticas lithium mine in northern Portugal, a stage reached by only about one in a thousand mining projects worldwide. It confirms an initial probable reserve of 20 million tonnes of ore, enough for over seven million electric-vehicle batteries, and could be extended beyond 40 years. The project is expected to pay around €700 million in taxes and royalties over ten years and will receive about €110 million in state support through AICEP. It plans 500 direct and about 1,000 indirect jobs, plus a road link to the A24. German shareholder AMG Critical Materials would be first customer and has signalled interest in a refinery.
