Odysseas Michaelides, Auditor General, pointed out that tyre importers must have proof that they are contracted with the tyre management body. "There is a certainty gap that importers declare the data and pay the relevant fees," he said, adding that the final cost, which he estimated amounts to €170,000, is passed on to the consumer.The terms of the company's license have been violated since tires are being burned, he noted, adding that the state is locked into the positions and demands of a private company.
Costas Hadjipanagiotou, director of the Department of Environment,[/B]
spoke of the understaffing of the department, saying that 24 positions were cut in 2012. In addition, he said that Cyprus was producing 5,000 tonnes of tyres 10 years ago, while now it produces about 9,500 tonnes.[/P]Furthermore, he noted that there are three options for the management of tyres: One option is incineration or pyrolysis.[/B] Another option is exporting the tyres abroad, he suggested, adding that if society accepts this idea, a techno-economic study should be carried out. Huge warehouses must be found for the tyres, because tyre deliveries are now closed, Hatzipanayotou noted, adding that tyres in several garages are exposed.
Charalambos Theopeptou, President of the Citizens' Ecological Cooperation Movement[/B] and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, said that it is "extremely disappointing" to hear from the relevant authorities about the fire station at the Vasilikos energy centre, for which there were promises that it would be delivered, about the inspections that have not been done for at least the last two years, about the confusion about whether there was a safety plan for the site in cooperation with the Fire Department, and about the various excuses, he said, heard about the causes of the recent fire in Vasilikos.
Furthermore, he pointed out that now there is no place to collect and manage tyres. "Around 40,000 tyres are now in the cities, and this number is growing every day," he indicated, adding that a solution must be found, even if only temporarily.
Prodromos Alambritis, a DISY MP, [/B]said that the omissions and weaknesses of the competent services and the managing company had become apparent. "Each competent authority must carry out the necessary checks in order to prevent unfortunate incidents and not to discuss responsibilities afterwards," he added.
"The collection, management and reuse of tyres is extremely important[/B] for the protection of the environment and to avoid the phenomenon of finding discarded tyres in scattered places in Cyprus," he said. Alabritis, adding that "we have a duty to protect the safety and health of the residents of the surrounding area".
Andreas Pasiourtidis, MP for AKEL,[/B] noted that since 2019 until today, no inspection was carried out by the Environment Department at the site where the fire occurred, while in the last two years no inspection was carried out by the Inspection Department. "The Fire Department was saying that they were never asked to give opinions on the fire suppression system and also on the suitability of the site," he said, adding that the Planning Department showed letters from August 2017, which said the Fire Department's opinions were received and were in agreement. "But the Fire Brigade told us that after the development was finished there, no one from the relevant authorities invited them to go and look at the site and judge whether the site is suitable," he said."
In addition, he referred to the €170.000, which, according to the Auditor General's estimates, should be returned by the management company to the state, because these tons of tires that have been burned should not be subsidized to the company and this taxpayers' money should be returned.
Christos Orphanides, DIKO MP,[/B] said that since 2017[/B] he had registered the issue in the Environment Committee because of his concern about how the movement of thousands of tonnes of tyres in the area could turn out. The assurances that there is no concern, that there is a water facility that can help extinguish a fire immediately, that there would be compartmentalisation of tyres, have not materialised, he added.
"The quality of life of local residents has reached its limits. Their concerns have multiplied. The huge smog has extended to the Larnaca and free Famagusta area," he said. Orphanides, adding that it is unacceptable to have a fire station that has been completed and not delivered.
Sotiris Ioannou, MP for ELAM,[/B] pointed out that the transfer of the tyres to the Vasilikos area was done with the promise of the former Minister of Agriculture that there will be fire fighting points, the areas will be fenced, there will be 24-hour security and there will be daily inspections by the Fire Department, the Department of Environment and the Department of Labour Inspection. "Absolutely none of this is the case," he said, adding that the Environment Department has conducted eight inspections in the last two and a half years instead of daily inspections.
"You realize the mockery to the residents of the Vasilikos communities, where their safety and health is compromised by the overloading of heavy industry in the area," Ioannou said, adding that these people now feel like second-class citizens. In addition, he called on the authorities to immediately start inspections and cancel the transfer of new asphalt plants in the area.
Andreas Apostolou, MP for the EPP,[/B] stressed that the Environment Department has been understaffed for many years and cannot actually perform its duties as it should. Furthermore, he pointed out that there are serious responsibilities in terms of the frequency of inspections, the way companies comply with the regulations and the legal bases of the permits they have obtained. "We will not consent to any other decision to further burden the Vasilikos area with any other plant," he added. Apostolou expressed the view that there should be permanent staff of the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Labor and any other departments that have the responsibility to control the operation, so that more frequent inspections can be carried out and communicated to the Parliament so that MPs can act proactively and not cry over ruins.
Lefteris Fokas, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the Vasilikos Area Communities and Chairman of the Kalavasu CS, said that they will not allow any factory licensing in their area unless the existing companies are upgraded on safety issues. "We are prepared to close the Vasilikos Energy Centre indefinitely with all the consequences this will have for the whole of Cyprus. We will appeal to the European Court of Justice to demand our rights as European citizens," he said.
Responding to a question about the communities' request for a meeting with the President of the Republic, he said that in the meeting held in 2017, promises had been made for a gradual transfer, daily monitoring and a fire-fighting system. "We want to discuss the problem with the President", he concluded.
Anthony Antoniou, Executive President of Vasilikos Cement Works,[/B] expressed his disagreement with the Auditor General's position on the €170.000, stating that the company has already done some procedures, such as receiving and shredding the tyres.
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
