This means it will be contingent on the presentation of studies and evidence, compliance with monitoring measures and programmes, and other conditions.

According to the document available on the APA website, the Evaluation Committee issued a favourable opinion on the Borralha mine project in Montalegre, in the district of Vila Real, “subject to the presentation of studies and evidence, compliance with monitoring measures and programmes”, along with conditions associated with the construction and exploitation phases.

For the APA, the reopening of the Borralha mine “presents itself as a strategic and environmentally relevant opportunity”, considering that the negative impacts are “largely susceptible to minimisation and/or compensation”, noting that the project “includes measures to safeguard cultural heritage and restore historical structures”.

“Located in an area historically dedicated to mining, the project will allow for the remediation of environmental liabilities accumulated over decades, including the elimination of the sulphide tailings dump, responsible for the generation of acid water, and the restoration of the Ribeira de Amiar,” the opinion reads.

The existing public water supply intake at the Venda Nova dam, located downstream of the mine, was one of the main concerns raised in submissions during the public consultation period for the Borralha mine Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which ran from 7 October to 17 November 2025 and received 653 submissions.

The APA considers that “the option of underground mining, with primary crushing underground, minimises the typical impacts of open-pit mining, such as dust and noise associated with ore extraction, while the closed-circuit water system and the mining treatment plant ensure water reuse and reduce contamination risks”.

Also, “responsible management of tailings, with dry disposal, their use to fill mining voids and other uses, which are proposed to be evaluated, promotes the circular economy and may reduce their volume and the area occupied.”

As for the impacts associated with noise and vibrations that will mainly affect the immediate surroundings, “mitigable through the proposed relocation of sensitive receivers,” the APA states that, “despite the small number of families involved and the fact that the demolition of homes is not planned, [there will] always be a significant impact on their lives.”