This action by the Prosecutor's Office could lead to the reopening of a case filed in late 2024, which failed to attribute specific incidents to particular companies. The filing already warned of the need for constant control of prevention systems and beach cleaning efforts.
In parallel, the mayor of Vila-seca, Pere Segura, sent a letter to the Government delegate in Tarragona, denouncing the new presence of pellets and demanding the immediate convening of the steering group of the Zero Pellet Loss Platform. Segura emphasizes that the problem extends beyond the local sphere and requires an effective political response.
“"This problem clearly transcends the local scope and demands a clear and effective political response."
According to Segura, pellets reach the sea via streams, which are under the jurisdiction of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), and through the port, managed by the Port Authority. Sources from the Port of Tarragona defend themselves, stating they are an 'affected party' and are open to dialogue to find solutions to eliminate these microplastics.
The European Union has intervened with a new regulation, mandatory from December 2027, aimed at ensuring the traceability of plastic pellets throughout the supply chain. This regulation, in which Good Karma Projects participated, includes producers, transporters, and storers, and mandates a management plan and a register of facilities.
“"Once the pellets reach the beach, you can no longer know who dropped them."
The Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition is responsible for overseeing compliance with this regulation. Working groups have already been established with chemical companies in Tarragona, which note having launched internal projects to reduce pellet loss since 2018. Despite this, an open case remains before the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) following a complaint by the Surfrider Foundation Europe against companies in Tarragona's petrochemical complex.
