Limestone mining concession "La Muela" in Estépar is open for public consultation

The Territorial Service of Industry, Commerce and Economy of Burgos, under the Territorial Delegation of the Junta de Castilla y León, has submitted for public review the exploitation project, the restoration and rehabilitation plan, and the environmental impact study for the application for a direct exploitation concession for resources in section C), limestones, named «La Muela» no. 4,934, consisting of 9 mining grids, in the municipality of Estépar (Burgos). The announcement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Burgos, number 163, dated August 28, 2026, with CVE BoPBur-2026-03269.

The procedure is carried out in compliance with Article 55 of Legislative Decree 1/2015, of November 12, which approves the consolidated text of the Environmental Prevention Law of Castilla y León; Article 36 of Law 21/2013, of December 9, on Environmental Assessment; and Article 6 of Royal Decree 975/2009, of June 12, on the management of waste from extractive industries and the protection and rehabilitation of natural spaces affected by mining activities. The file is included in Group 2.a) (Extractive industry) of Annex I of the aforementioned Law 21/2013.

Perimeter and requested area

The direct exploitation concession covers 9 mining grids, the perimeter of which is delimited by 8 vertices established in the ETRS89 mining grid, with the following coordinates:

• V1: 3º 53´20´´ longitude, 42º 14´20´´ latitude
• V2: 3º 53´00´´ longitude, 42º 14´20´´ latitude
• V3: 3º 53´00´´ longitude, 42º 14´00´´ latitude
• V4: 3º 52´40´´ longitude, 42º 14´00´´ latitude
• V5: 3º 52´40´´ longitude, 42º 13´20´´ latitude
• V6: 3º 54´00´´ longitude, 42º 13´20´´ latitude
• V7: 3º 54´00´´ longitude, 42º 14´00´´ latitude
• V8: 3º 53´20´´ longitude, 42º 14´00´´ latitude

Deadline and form of allegations

Any party with the status of an interested party may examine the file from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 14:00 hours, at the Territorial Service of Industry, Commerce and Economy of Burgos (Mining Section), located at Plaza de Bilbao, no. 3, 09006 Burgos. The deadline is 30 days, starting from the day following that of the publication in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León, in accordance with Article 51.1 of Law 22/1973, on Mining, and Article 70.2 of the General Regulations for the Mining Regime, approved by Royal Decree 2875/1978, of August 25.

The documentation may also be consulted by the public on the website of the Junta de Castilla y León, in the section corresponding to Energy and Mining (jcyl.es). Any allegations and observations deemed appropriate must be addressed, within the aforementioned period, to the same Territorial Service (Mining Section).

Relevance of the procedure

The announcement, signed in Burgos on July 23, 2026, by the head of the territorial service, María Dolores Velasco Lajo, opens the window for citizen participation prior to the eventual authorization of a limestone extraction operation in the surroundings of Estépar. For residents and interested parties, this public information period constitutes the ordinary channel to learn about the scope of the project, its restoration plan, and its environmental impact, and to submit allegations before the regional administration resolves the concession.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Burgos, no. 163, August 28, 2026, section II (Regional Administration), pág. 3-4 (official reference: BoPBur-2026-03269).