PALMA
Palma City Council began removing the toxic debris from the Can Valero industrial estate yesterday as the clean up after the hurricane storm which hit Majorca ten days ago enters into its second week.
A team of specialists wearing protective clothing moved in yesterday morning and the operation to remove an estimated ten tons of toxic debris, in particular asbestos, is expected to be completed today.
The waste will then be shipped to a special treatment plant on the mainland while the health service carries out another analysis of toxic dust on the industrial estate which was seriously damaged by the hurricane-force winds.
Can Valero is slowly returning to normal although there are some 30 businesses which can not resume work until they receive compensation. Yesterday the vice-president of the Majorcan small business association, Ines Beascoecha, urged both local and central governments to make sure that they honour their promises to compensate the victims of the storm. In total, some 50 companies were hit on the Can Valero estate and for the majority, if the compensation and government aid is not forthcoming soon, they will be unable return to work and will suffer further financial losses.
Central government has set up a 30 million-euro disaster fund for the storm-hit regions of Majorca, Valencia, Alicante and Granada and the head of the Majorcan industrial association, Miquel Bordoy, said that local victims would be entitled to an estimated 9'000 euros each from the fund on top of compensation from their insurance companies.
Bordoy added that the Balearic government is also going to provide cash aid and that should help victims to cover 100 percent of their repair bills. If the authorities come up with the goods then we will be extremely pleased, he said.