Press
1 – NEWS, OPINION PIECES AND REPORTS
Interview to João Joanaz de Melo
Espaço Douro – June 1st, 2015
Starting from minute ”10,52”
Joanaz de Melo says that Tua mobility plan “is unreal”
Rádio Onda Livre – May 18th, 2015
Tua mobility plan is unreal because there isn’t any economic sustainability. This is the opinion of Joanaz de Melo from de Platform Save the Tua , and he believes that there will be no community funds for a project that will not have sustainability. The environmentalist says that the mobility plan doesn’t fulfil the main requirement of the Environmental Impact Statement for the construction of the Foz Tua dam.
Radio Onda Livre – May 18th, 2015
The Foz Tua dam doesn’t bring development for this region, it is rather a gift from the (Portuguese) Government to EDP in order to have control over this region. This statement comes from Paulo Morais, Presidential candidate, in a conference about the development model for the Tua Valley and Alto Douro, on Saturday included in the week of entrepreneurship and rural development in the Professional School of Agriculture of Carvalhais.
Worker gets killed in acident in the Foz Tua dam
Jornal de Notícias – May 12th, 2015
A 26 years old worker died last Tuesday on the construction works of the Foz Tua dam, between Alijó and Carrazeda de Ansiães. The worker is supposed to have fallen at around 6.15 am while working on the dam.
Platform Save the Tua tries to stop very high power voltage line in court
Radio Onda Livre – January 24th, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has brought a legal action before the court to stop the alignment of a very high power voltage line in the core of the Alto Douro Wine Region.
Sol – January 22nd, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Agency of the Environment (APA) for the approval of the very high power voltage line which EDP proposes to connect the Foz Tua dam to national grid.
Voltage line of Foz Tua dam under legal action
Jornal de Negócio – January 22nd, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has taken this week before the Administrative Court of Lisbon a legal action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency in order to declare void the Environmental Impact Statement that approved a very high voltage power line in the Alto Douro Region.
High power voltage line. Legal Action in Court
Correio da Manhã – January 22nd, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency concerning the approval of the very high power voltage line connecting the Foz Tua dam to the electric grid.
Dam. Legal action before court to stop the power voltage line
Jornal I – January 22nd, 2015
Platform Save the Tua, an organization that gathers environmental associations and wineries has announced today that has taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency for the approval of a very high voltage line that will connect the Foz Tua dam to the electric grid.
Action to stop the very high voltage line in Foz Tua taken to court
Notícias de Vila Real – January 22nd, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has announced today to have taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency for the approval of the connection of the Foz Tua dam to the national grid.
Platform of citizens sue EDP for the construction of the Foz Tua dam
Observador – January 21st, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has taken an action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency, subsequently to the approval of the project for the construction of a very high power voltage line of the Foz Tua dam
Action to stop very high voltage power line in Foz Tua was taken to court
Porto Canal – January 21st, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has announced today to have taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency for the approval of a very high voltage power line that will connect the Foz Tua dam to the national grid.
Trying to stop the very high voltage power line in Foz Tua
Correio da Manhã – January 21st, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has brought an action before court against the Portuguese Environmental Agency.
Legal action in court to stop very high power voltage line in Foz Tua
LUSA in RTP, Visão, Expresso, Sapo e Dinheiro Digital – January 21st, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has announced today to have taken a Special Administrative Action against Portuguese Environmental Agency for the approval of a very high voltage power line that will connect the Foz Tua dam to the national grid.
Very high voltage power line dealt in Court
Notícias do Nordeste – January 21st, 2015
Platform Save the Tua has taken a Special Administrative Action against the Portuguese Environmental Agency for the approval of a very high voltage power line that connects the Foz Tua dam to the national grid.
Platform Save the Tua takes a legal action to stop the very high voltage power line
Jornal de Negócios and Sábado – January 21st, 2015
The association that contests EDP construction of the Foz Tua dam has brought an action before the court against the Portuguese Environmental Agency in order to cancel the Statement that allows the the line alignment to the electric grid.
Project of the dam has illegalities – Full interview HERE
Correio da Manhã – January 8th, 2015
Joanaz de Melo talks about the petition that demands the immediate suspension of the construction works of the Foz Tua dam.
Plenary votation of the petition “Manifest for the Tua” postponed for today morning (WITH AUDIO)
Rádio Onda Livre – January 9th, 2005
The suspension of the construction works of the Foz Tua dam was discussed yesterday in the Portuguese Parliament required by three initiatives brought forward by the Platform Save the Tua, the Ecologist Party Os Verdes and Bloco de Esquerda. The voting will happen this morning.
Government and PS against the manifest that demands the suspension of the works in Tua (VIDEO)
Porto Canal – January 9th, 2015
The suspension of the construction works of the Foz Tua dam was discussed on Thursday in the Portuguese Parliament.
Silent protest in the Portuguese Parliament against the Foz Tua dam (VIDEO)
Sic Notícias – January 8th, 2015
At the end of the parliamentary discussion on this Friday, there was in the galleries of the Portuguese Parliament a brief silent protest. Some signatories of the petition for the suspension of the Foz Tua dam were at this debate and in the end raised to show there t-shirts. The police intervened and demanded to the petitioners to leave from the chamber. The Parliament discussed two draft resolutions submitted by Bloco de Esquerda and Verdes, which consider the construction of the dam does not to bring any benefice to the country but instead to EDP.
“Construction works at Foz Tua are clearly the outcome of influence-peddling”
Radio Renascença – January 8th, 2015
The accusation comes from João Joanaz de Melo, author of the Manifest for the Tua Valley. In the Portuguese Parliament will be voted this Thursday a petition that demands the suspension of the works of the hydroelectric project.
Manifest for the Tua Valley will be debated today in the Portuguese Parliament
A Voz de Trás os Montes – January 8th, 2015
Having more than seven thousand signatures, the petition, the third one to be submitted to Parliament requests the “immediate suspension of the constructions works” of the dam.
Rádio Onda Livre – January 8th,2015
To create a workplace in Rural Tourism in the Tua Valley is eleven times less expensive than a workplace in a dam.
Plenary of the Parliament debates Manifest for the Tua Valley
Webrails.Tv – January 7th, 2015
The Portuguese Parliament takes into plenary this Thursday the Manifest for the Tua Valley. The petition is headed by João Joanaz de Melo that demands the end of the construction of the dam.
Three debate initiatives take the Tua back to Portuguese Parliament
Porto Canal – January 7th, 2015
The controversy about the Tua Valley returns, this Friday, to the plenary of the Portuguese Parliament. Three debate initiatives demand the immediate suspension of the construction in the Trás-os-Montes region.
Suspension of the Foz Tua dam is discussed tomorrow, Thursday, in the Portuguese Parliament
Notícias do Nordeste – January 7th, 2015
The Petition – Manifest for the Tua will be voted in Parliament at 15.00, next Thursday 8 January. More than 7.300 people demand the immediate suspension of the construction works in the Foz Tua dam and the cancellation of the Ordinance that assigns €300 million of non-refundable subsidies to the electric companies and to reopen the procedure for the classification of the Tua Railway Line as National Monument.
Foz Tua dam can be stopped tomorrow
Rádio Onda Livre – January 7th, 2015
The voting of the Petition “Manifest for the Tua” with 7 300 signatures collected last year demanding the embargo of the Foz Tua dam will be voted in Parliament.
Manifest for the Tua Valley will be voted in Parliament
Sol – January 6th, 2015
The petition Manifest for the Tua Valley, signed by more than 7.300 people demanding the immediate suspension of the construction works of the Foz Tua dam will be voted this Thursday in Parliament.
Suspension of the Foz Tua dam is decided this week
Visão – January 6th, 2015
The intentions of those responsible for the petition “Manifest for the Tua Valley” is to prevent the construction of the dam from destroying the Tua historic railway .
High Tension in the Douro Wine Region
Jornal de Notícias – November 28th, 2014
The new electrical line considered “illegal” because it crosses classified area. Metallic towers will have almost the same size of the Clerics Tower in Oporto.
The Platform Save the Tua reported to Unesco “illegalities and irregularities committed by EDP and by the Portuguese Government in the construction of the Foz Tua dam”. Among these a very high power line.
Platform Save the Tua against very high power lines
Radio Onda Livre – November 28th, 2014
Platform Save the Tua rises again against the dam which is being built near to the mouth of the river Tua, between Carrazeda de Ansiães and Alijó, being also against the very high power voltage line that will ensure the transmission of energy between the central and sub-station of Armamar.
Sócrates, anti-Sócrates, Passos
Opinion piece by Daniel Deusdado
Jornal de Notícias – November 27th, 2014
The scandalous National Dams Program from which EDP took the lion’s share and bought 10 licences for hydroelectric projects for “one dollar”, has no return. Subsequently, we are going to pay this “business” in contracts that will oblige us to pay more in the energetic bills in Portugal during the next decades. It really makes one shudder to look at the long list of projects made by Sócrates Government that will now be looked more closely. Was it really for the “common good”?
Constestation of the high voltage power line connecting Tua Dam to Armamar
LUSA in RTP, Notícias ao Minuto – November 27th, 2014
A very high voltage line will connect the Foz Tua dam going through an extension of 40 km until Armamar, crossing the river Douro at Valeira, accordingly with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) approved. Both the very high voltage power line as the Foz Tua Hydroelectric Project have been contested by civic and environmental organizations that oppose the construction of the dam in the mouth of Tua. Responding to EIS, the Platform Save the Tua, that gathers environmental associations and wineries has stated today in a press release that “ this alignment is a clear infringement to what was set by Unesco mission in June 2012 admitting the eventual compatibility of the dam, however, highly recommending that the line didn’t cross the Alto Douro Wine Region
Notícias do Nordeste – November 26th, 2014
Platform Save the Tua (PST) accuses EDP to infringe the recommendations made by UNESCO in the proposal for the very high power voltage line in the core of the Alto Douro Wine Region even if, as referred in the press release that the Ministry of the Environment approved the project” dismissing environmental community legislation”. Plataforma Salvar o Tua contested already the decision and sent today a letter to UNESCO reporting all irregularities.
Giant dam built in the Port wine region, in Portugal
Helsingin Sanomat – November 21st, 2014
Full article in english HERE. Article in finnish HERE.
Open letter sent to Order of Engineers
Público – November 1st, 2014
The engineer Fernando de Almeida dos Santos, President of the Order of Engineers North Region has raised against the Portuguese Authority for Work Conditions (ACT) concerning the inspection procedure of the construction of the Foz Tua dam. What is perhaps more serious in the attitude of Almeida Santos is the fact that he is the President of Tabique, precisely the company in charge for the security of the construction of the Foz Tua dam.
Herdade do Esporão: wine, culture and civic intervention
Jornal I – October 27th, 2014
The winery Herdade do Esporão is also worried with issues of an ecosystem where the property is located. They have launched a wine bottle named Assobio, an AOC Douro 2011, whose label is a manifest against the construction of the Foz Tua dam, “Save the Tua, Protect the Douro” and the sales of the wine goe entirely for this campaign. The answer is simple: The grapes that make Assobio grow in Quinta dos Murças, between Régua and Pinhão, a property that belongs to Herdade do Esporão.
Quinta da Aveleda 2013 was elected by Wine Enthusiast the best buy of this year
SIC Notícias – October 25th, 2014
In fourth is another Portuguese wine. Assobio was named after the sound made by the wind, on a hill of Quinta dos Murças, property of the group Esporão. The DNA of Esporão is from Alentejo but its heart beats already for the protection of Douro’s heritage. A selected harvest of the wine Assobio goes for the protection of the Tua Valley, threatened by the construction of a dam.
RTP – October 20th, 2014
The Local Administration of Mondim de Basto has announced today that brought a popular action against EDP and the Portuguese Government concerning the damages caused in the municipality resulting of “the indecision about the construction of the dam in Fridão”.
Interview to Agostinho Pereira de Miranda
Magazine Ordem dos Advogados – September, 2014
Foz Tua dam. Unesco demands clarifications
Diário de Notícias – August 5th, 2014
Platform Save the Tua disclosed, on this Monday that UNESCO has demanded clarifications to the Portuguese Government about the commitments attached to the scoping of the environmental impact and the non-compliance of the commitments taken in regard with the Alto Douro Wine Region.
Unesco demands explanation about Tua
Jornal I – August 5th, 2014
UNESCO demanded explanations to the Portuguese Government about the commitments attached to the evaluation of environmental impact and to the non compliance of the commitments taken in regard with the Alto Douro Wine Region. Accordingly to the Platform Save the Tua, it was this request that conducted to the inspection of the construction works of the dam by the Minister of the Environment.
Ministry of the Environment orders inspection of the dam
Público – July 29th, 2015
The results of this inspection must be released by the Minister of the Environment within 30 week days.
Seven dams that Portugal doesn’t need
Expresso -July 12th, 2014
They have been presented by José Sócrates in 2007. Iberdrola, Endesa and EDP have paid €640 million for the concessions but insofar, only one started to be built: Foz Tua.
The mania of the accomplished fact and the light at the end of the tunnel
Opinion piece by João Joanaz de Melo, University Professor, Head of GEOTA
Ambiente Online – July 11th, 2004
In Portugal there is an endemic disease: the mania of the accomplished fact. To get over this disease demands a complete transformation of mentalities and a focus of attention. Foz Tua can be a path for healing.
Wine producers from the Douro Region united for the Tua
Expresso – July 27th, 2014
Fifteen of the main wine producers from the Douro Region have come together to demand UNESCO the immediate suspension of the construction of the dam in the mouth of the Tua.
Douro wine producers (and McNamara) constest the Tua dam
Rádio Renancença – June 27th, 2014
Fifteen wine producers from the Douro have written to Unesco to demand the “immediate suspension” of the construction works. This cause have also the support of the well-known surfer Garret McNamara and public figures and several Portuguese artists.
Platform Save the Tua demands immediate suspension of the construction of the dam
Notícias do Douro – June 27th, 2014
The press conference Save the Tua was held at Fábrica do Braço de Prata and brought together environmental associations, lawyers, wine producers from the Douro, politicians and several public figures united to prevent the Foz Tua dam to be constructed.
Wine producers get involved in the campaign for the Tua
Sic Notícias – June 26th, 2014
The sale of the limited editions of two wines produced in the Douro Region goes to the Plataforma Salvar o Tua.
MacNamara becomes international Ambassador against the dam in Tua
VISÃO – June 20th, 2014
The surfer Garrett MacNamara became international Ambassador of the Platform Save the Tua, that strives against the construction of the Foz Tua dam.
McNamara and wine producers together for the Tua
SIC Notícias – Jun 20th, 2014
Wine Producers from the Douro and several environmental and local development associations united in the Platform Save the Tua, have started a campaign to raise awareness against the construction of the dam. There is a song with several artists like Rui Reininho and Luísa Sobral and, beyond the support of the surfer Garrett Mcnamarra, the campaign includes as well a limited edition of the wine bottles Assobio, from Quinta dos Murças, containing a message in the label.
Platform Save the Tua makes complaint against EDP
RTP – June 11th, 2014
Platform Save the Tua made a complaint before the Portuguese Government and Unesco against EDP. They say that the environmental impact compensations of the Foz Tua dam construction are not being executed.
Naturlink – June 6th, 2014
EDP and the Portuguese State are defaulting the requirements of Unesco and of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Foz Tua dam. This week, the Platform Save the Tua and its organizations have delivered to UNESCO and to the Portuguese Government detailed reports containing the infringements committed by EDP and the incompetence of the Portuguese authorities regarding the project of the Foz Tua dam.
ACT suspends front-part of the construction works of the Tua dam
Diário de Notícias – May 27th, 2014
The Authority for the Work Conditions has announced today that the suspension of the front-part of the Foz Tua dam will be maintained until the causes of the death of a worker have been verified.
Platform Save the Tua demands the high voltage power line in Douro to be referred back
Porto Canal – May 5th, 2014
The Platform Save the Tua demands the high power voltage line that will connect the Tua dam to the national grid to be referred back because considers that the balance of impacts is “in the overall very negative”.
“Entrar na Linha” – In defence of the Tua railway
Rádio Renancença – March 14th, 2014
The initiative comes from the Civic Movement for the Tua Railway Line whose intentions is to alert for the state of abandon that the railway line between Mirandela and Bragança is a structure that could be at the disposal of the community.
PAN has stated that the Foz Tua dam can affect the quality of Port wine
Porto Canal – March 12th, 2014
The Partido pelos Animais e pela Natureza (political party) stated today that the construction of the Tua dam can affect the quality on the production of the Port wine, in consequence of changes in the ecosystems.
Save the Tua – a civilizational imperative
Opinion piece by João Joanaz de Melo, University Professor, Head of GEOTA
Ambiente Online – February 12th, 2014
Foz Tua: centrepiece of the National Dam Program, wrong policy paradigm in energy, environment, public investment, mobility, culture and regional development.
Opinion piece by Agostinho de Miranda, lawyer, expert of he Secretariat of the Energy Charter Treaty
Jornal de Negócios – February 27th, 2014
The President of China Tree Gorges (CTG), shareholder of 21,35% of EDP was this month in Lisbon. The main reason of the displacement was not a matter of small importance taking into account that on a frantic roll of hearings, M. Cao Guangjing was seen with the State Secretary of Energy, the Prime-minister and even the President of Portugal.
Opinion piece by Daniel Deusdado
Jornal de Notícias – February 6th, 2014
What is happening to the region of Trás-os-Montes with the dams in Tua, Tâmega and Sabor are economic crimes because it perpetuates rents in the benefit of EDP, Iberdrola and others for many more decades. They are as well environmental and historic crimes in consequence of the devastation that will cause to that region.
Público – February 4th, 2014
New dams, in particular Foz Tua, affect navigability in the Douro river and demand intervention which is now one of the priorities of the State.
Opinion piece by Mário Soares
Diário de Notícias – Februaru 4th, 2014
“The production of a dam serves always, in a financial point of view, those that built it. Very much. This has always been a great deal for the benefit of the big construction companies and the banks. The ecologists are organising them-selves around a manifest called Lets Save the Tua. In favour of the tourism and the historic railway line, that as we know, flows to the Douro; consequently to the destruction of agricultural land and rare river habitats, endangering protected as well as threatened species.”
Tua without connection to the electric grid
Correio da Manhã – January 27th, 2014
Foz Tua dam has no environmental impact study to the high voltage transmission.
“I hope i die before the dam is ready, not see these things”
Porto Canal – January 25th, 2014
The Platform Save the Tua, that enrols a movement with 20 lawyers, is to contest the statement of public utility of the Foz Tua dam and ensures free legal support to the land owners that were affected by the construction of the dam.
Objectors of the Tua dam contest its public utility
Lusa – January 25th, 2014
The Platform Save the Tua, that enrols a movement with 20 lawyers, is to contest the statement of public utility of the Foz Tua dam and ensures free legal support to the land owners that were affected by the construction of the dam.
Read full article here (Porto Canal, RTP, TVI, Expresso, Sapo and Notícias ao Minuto websites).
Save the Tua invites Douro wine producers to take part in the platform
Porto Canal/Lusa – January 24th, 2014
Douro wine producers were today invited to take part in the Platform Save the Tua in the course of a meeting held in Oporto, to get them to know the “ implications of the construction of the Foz Tua dam” in the region.
The cruzade of the Tua dam goes on
Rádio Onda Livre – January 24th, 2014
The Platform Save the Tua keeps on with its crusade to stop the Tua dam that EDP is building near the mouth of this tributary of the Douro river, between Alijó and Carrazeda de Ansiães.
Douro is one of the 25 destinations to go in 2014
Público – December 17th, 2013
Fodor’s, world giant in touristic publishing, has praised the Douro Valley as “the most beautiful wine region in the world” and also has elected it for the top 25 destinations.
Lawyers open strategic litigation against Foz Tua dam
Site Advocatus – December 12th, 2013
20 Portuguese lawyers, among which a former President of the Bar Association and 5 university professors have signed a statement against the construction of the Foz Tua dam which is presented today in the Luso-American Foundation. It is the first case in Portugal of “strategic litigation”.
Campaign “Save the Tua” starts today in Lisbon
Lusa – December 12th, 2013
The intentions of the organisers of the campaign is to express what they acknowledge as “absence of reasonable ground justifying the destruction of the Tua Valley, part of the Portuguese heritage and identity”.
Court admits injunction to stop the Tua dam
RTP – September 20th, 2013
The Administrative Court of Mirandela has admitted the injunction raised by the Platform Save the Tua whose purpose is to stop the construction of the dam, being built since 2011 in the mouth of the Tua, as announced by the organization.
Platform Save the Tua contest the creation of the Nature Park of the Tua Valley
Naturlink – September 20th, 2013
The Platform Save the Tua has contested the creation of the Nature Park of the Tua Valley considering it to serve only to activate the management of the obligatory financial contributions by the Environmental Impact Statement of the Foz Tua Hydroelectric Project of EDP
RTP – June 19th, 2013
The Platform Save the Tua strongly criticizes the fact that the World Heritage Committee has approved the draft resolution that expresses the compatibility of the Foz Tua dam with Douro’s World Heritage.
Petition with 5. 324 signatures against the Tua dam brought before Parliament on Friday
RTP – June 20th, 2013
The petition “Manifest for the Tua Valley” will be brought before the Portuguese Parliament bearing 5. 324 signatures demanding the construction works of the Foz Tua dam to stop, have announced today the organisers of the initiative.
Oporto is on the best European destination 2013 says Lonely Planet
P3 – Público – June 18th, 2013
The travel guide publisher has placed Oporto and Vale do Douro in the top 10 best European destinations for 2013. The city is described as a “vibrant capital of arts”.
Douro elected best river destination in Europe
GreenSavers – June 14th, 2013
The north-american aggregator The Huffington Post has elected Douro has the best river destination in Europe, praising the surrounding nature, culture and, of course, the wine.
Human dam blockage against the Foz Tua dam
Naturlink – September 28th, 2012
On the 123th anniversary of the Tua Railway Line several non-governmental organizations have raised against the construction of the Foz Tua dam. It is imminent the destruction of the Tua Valley, and one of the last rivers in a natural state in Europe and one of the most beautiful rivers in Portugal!
2 – KIT FOR JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA PROFESSIONALS
Press release_Platform Save the Tua here
Press release archive records of the Platform Save the Tua here
Images of the Douro and Tua (photography by Duarte Belo) here
Logo of the Platform Save the Tua here
Wines for the Tua here
MacNamara for the Tua – Interview here
McNamara for the Tua – Posters here