We must recognise this today. Estimates of mortality at wind-power plants in Navarra in the past for protected species were a far cry from what is really happening at these ‘death’ machines. A study in 2000 carried out by a biologist (rather than an environmental group that may have its own agenda) for the Department of the Environment of the Navarra Regional Government showed that the mortality of protected species is truly chilling.

In order to get hold of this study, GURELUR has had to appeal to a person outside of Navarra, although still in the Department of the Environment, in spite of asking for it repeatedly through various channels and being put off with the argument that this study was not yet ready. Once we had read the results, we understood the reason for the attempts to deny us the right to the environmental information, despite this information being available under law.

The results of this study show the incompatibility between some wind-power installations and the protection of Navarra’s avifauna

The study in question took place between March 2000 and March 2001 and was centred on 11 of the 22 wind-power installations constructed up to that date in our Region. These 11 were the installations of El Perdón, Leiza-Beruete, Sierra de Guerinda (4 installations), Alaiz (2 installations), and Salajones, Aibar and Izko in the Izko mountains. In total, the study covered 400 wind-power generators.

During the work, 141 dead animals were found, of those 138 were birds and the remaining 3 bats. Visits to the installations were carried out once a week, making observations on the passage of birds through the wind-power generators and the level of risk that the birds were under. With respect to dead animals, trials were carried out on the ability to detect bodies and how long they remained in the area.

Winkelman’s formula was applied to these data in order to estimate the real level of mortality for generators at each one of the installations. Given that at no time were complete surveys carried out, we have calculated the numbers based on the data of the study. Since this study, the installations of Izco-Aibar, Alaiz and Guerinda have been extended, and the number of deaths will have increased at each of those study sites. Extrapolating the data, the number of bats dying is 749, raptors 472 (of which 443 are vultures) and 7185 passeriformes, giving a total of 8406 dead animals each year across these installations. On top of this mortality, we must add those deaths that take place at the installations not studied and others caused by the electricity cables associated with these wind-power installations.

The Department of Environment is hiding, in an illegal and underhanded way, the serious affects on protected fauna by wind-power plants.

At the height of this appalling impudence and shamelessness, the Councillor for the Environment had the impudence to issue a press release in which: 

• he did not give the total numbers of estimated deaths
• he hid the conclusions relating to the lack of pre-construction studies on the use of the area by birds and bats
• he hid that the study did not include animals dead from electric cabling, even though those cables cause a high number of collisions and electrocutions
• he hid the risk of mortality for species in danger of extinction, such as the Imperial Eagle and the Lammergeier
• he hid the grave effects that these installations have on the migratory fauna
• he hid that this mortality in birds demonstrates the inappropriate siting of some of the wind-power plants. 

The recommendations of the study to help avoid or minimise the actual mortality of birds and to detect risk are not being taken into consideration by the Environmental Administration, which is irresponsibly allowing the installation of new wind-power plants, regardless of the legal implications. In this way they are continuing to allow the mortality of protected wildlife in our Community.

In a few days, GURELUR is going to present a Complaint to the EU over the degree of mortality of protected species and register an accusation at the Pamplona Judiciary against those responsible in the Department of the Environment for a possible crime under the Penal Code. The Commission is repeating a crime against the environment and is not fulfilling its obligations as Public Officials.

For the first time in its 11 years of existence, GURELUR is urgently soliciting the media in Navarra to pass on to the general public the environmental consequences of the current development of wind-power in Navarra, so that they can be aware of the facts and take a stand on this issue.

In the table are collated only the estimates of dead birds at 10 plants out of the 22 that are in Navarra. To this heavy death toll has to be added those across the rest of the plants, multiplied by the number of years for which each have been functioning and for which they will continue functioning.
 

Estimate of annual number of dead animals at 10 wind-power plants.
Wind-power plant	Average mortality (indiv/turbine/year)	Estimate of individuals dead
Estimate of dead bats: 671
Salajones	13.36	440
Izco-Aibar	3.09	231
Alaiz (2 plants)	-	-
Guerinda (5 plants)	-	-
El Perdón	-	-
Estimate of dead vultures: 409
Salajones	8.17	269
Izco-Aibar	0.73	54
Alaiz (2 centrales)	0.62	46
Guerinda (5 centrales)	0.18	26
El Perdón	0.36	14
Total raptors 432
Salajones	8.33	274
Izco-Aibar	0.93	69
Alaiz (2 centrales)	0.62	46
Guerinda (5 centrales)	0.20	29
El Perdón	0.36	14
Estimate of dead passeriformes: 6152
Salajones	13.36	440
Izco-Aibar	21.7	1627
Alaiz (2 centrales)	4.41	330
Guerinda (5 centrales)	8.27	1199
El Perdón	63.9	2556
TOTAL		7255

Michael Burke
 SUNDAY TIMES, JULY 21,  2002