One of the first community protests against industrial pollution in the Besòs area took place in 1966. More than a thousand residents – particularly women from Sant Adrià – protested against the “black dust” that was covering their homes, clothing and streets as a result of emissions from the thermal power plants. They burned heavy fuels, producing visible soot and causing corrosion throughout the surrounding urban area. Public pressure forced the developers to revise the design for the new power plant that was being built, and the height of the chimneys was raised to 200 metres in order to improve gas dispersion and reduce the immediate impact on the atmosphere.