Gravel and sand extraction authorized in Los Arcos

The Director General of Business Promotion and Infrastructure, Iñigo Arruti Torre, has authorized the Los Arcos City Council to utilize Section A resources for the gravel and sand extraction site named “Los Arcos 2”, registration number 22552. The authorization is detailed in Resolution 169/2026, of August 20, published in the Official Gazette of Navarra number 174, of September 3, 2026 (pages 31611-31612).

The extraction will take place on plot 174 of polygon 11 in the municipality of Los Arcos, in the “Los Cascajos” area, and will be valid for eight years, including both the extraction and restoration phases, starting from the notification of the resolution.

A two-year processing file

The procedure began on June 11, 2024, when the Los Arcos City Council requested authorization to extract gravel and sand on a communal plot. The project, the environmental impact study, and the restoration plan were submitted for public review via an announcement in the Official Gazette of Navarra number 171, of August 22, 2024, and no objections were received.

The processing complied with Law 21/2013, of December 9, on environmental assessment, and Royal Decree 975/2009, of June 12, on the management of waste from extractive industries and the protection and rehabilitation of areas affected by mining activities. During the consultation process, reports were received from various bodies:

• Report 0003-0226-2024-000010 from the Biodiversity Service.
• Report 35098/23 from the Los Arcos City Council.
• Report 0001-OT02-2024-000285 from the Registry, Movable Property, and Archaeology Section.

Favorable environmental impact statement

On December 13, 2024, the City Council requested the start of the environmental impact assessment. Previously, Resolution 65E/2025, of February 28, from the Director General of Territorial Planning, had granted authorization for activities and uses on non-urbanizable land, conditional upon the report from the Registry, Movable Property, and Archaeology Section dated October 18, 2024.

Following a request to adapt the documentation, submitted by the City Council on September 16 and October 22, 2025, Resolution 719E/2026, of July 15, from the Director General of the Environment, issued a favorable environmental impact statement regarding the project and provided a favorable report on the restoration plan.

Guarantee and conditions of the authorization

The resolution approves the restoration plan submitted on October 22, 2025, and imposes a guarantee of 59,170.81 euros, corresponding to the fulfillment of said plan, which will be updated every five years based on the evolution of the consumer price index. The deposit of the guarantee is a prerequisite for the start of the works and must be made at the Treasury Section of the Department of Economy and Finance or at the Industrial Planning, Energy Infrastructure and Mines Service.

The operation is subject to the conditions established in Environment Resolution 719E/2026. An administrative appeal may be filed against the resolution within two months of its notification, without prejudice to a prior request before the Government of Navarra.

Relevance for the area

The authorization allows the municipality of Los Arcos, with 1,173 inhabitants, to exploit a mining resource of Section A) on communal land, which may provide a local economic boost. At the same time, the restoration plan and the associated guarantee seek to ensure the environmental recovery of the affected space, in a balance between economic development and territorial protection that will mark the extractive activity of the area for the next eight years.

Source: Official Gazette of Navarra, number 174, September 3, 2026, pp. 31611-31612 (official reference: Resolution 169/2026, of August 20).