Protest outside the Ministry of Interior, against the relocation of an asphalt plant in the Mitseros area, were held on Tuesday by affected communities, while tension arose when some participants challenged the Minister, Nikos Nouris, during his statements that studies showed that there would be no problems from the operation of the plant in the area.
Community leaders of the Mitserou area, the "Communities in Action" Initiative Group and residents of the 12 affected communities of Agia Marina, Agios Epiphanios, Agios Ioannis, Agrokipia, Aredi, Kalo Chorio, Kato Moni, Kleiros, Malounda, Meno, Mitseros and Orunda gathered this morning outside the Ministry of Interior protesting against the decision to move an asphalt plant from Dali to their area.
They said they were determined to do everything they could to prevent the operation of yet another polluting plant in their already polluted area, which suffers from the stench of sewage from pig farms and slaughterhouses and dust from quarries.
They are calling, as a first step, for a freeze on the issuance of any permits to move and operate the plant until at least April 11, when a meeting has been set between the Interior Minister, the Metropolitan of Tamasou and Mountains, Isaiah, and a delegation of the communities.
Mitserou community leader, Andreas Kyriakou, said that this is the beginning of new dynamic protests decided by the councils of the affected communities in the area, residents and the Communities in Action Initiative Group.
"The protests will be more and more dynamic," he said.
He noted that they have no official information but they are hearing "whispers" that some permits are expected to be issued very soon.
The communities approved a resolution on Saturday expressing their opposition "to the Cabinet's decision without any consultation" to move the Prometheus asphalt plant to their area. They demand the immediate revocation of this decision, as well as strict supervision of existing nuisance activities and enforcement of relevant court decisions. Signatures are being collected and the petition will be delivered to the government and European Union bodies, according to Kyriakou.
Mr. Nouris, returning to the ministry, went to meet the protesters and invited a small delegation to his office to discuss the issue.
During his statements to members of the press, however, he was accosted by some protesters and left.
He said in his statements that indeed the area is facing a stench burden and residents are perfectly justified in complaining. The problem, he said, is the stench arising from the sewage that currently exists with the many tanks that are uncontrolled and for this reason, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has arranged for a €30 million programme in the Recovery Fund to relieve this area of sewage management. "That is where the problem is, if we want to be objective," he said."
Regarding the asphalt issue, he said that after the studies and the university studies, which were subsequent to the other studies that were done, it was clear that any encumbrance that exists is at most within a radius of 400 metres, while the nearest community, Mitsero, is 1.8 kilometres away. He added that he believes and it is scientifically documented that there will be absolutely no problem with this facility.
He also said that the Ministry of Agriculture, which has the responsibility, has accepted to have the so-called 'red button' mechanism, that is, to have systematic monitoring and when there is the slightest deviation from the emissions then the operation will immediately stop to be measured.
During the statements, some people shouted that the studies are fake, that the government is fooling them and asked why they did not then leave the plant where it was originally located, since there is no problem with its operation.
Kyriakou said after the minister's departure that the reactions will intensify, since the government continues with the same scenario that it does not bother the plant.
"We will also be unyielding if they try to bring it in," he said.
If the planning permission is issued, he said, they will immediately challenge it in court and if they are not vindicated, they will appeal to the European Court of Justice.
On the issue of selecting a person from the communities to control the proper operation of the plant, Mr. Kyriakou expressed disbelief, and cited the example of another area where they had been given the same promise with the transfer of a landfill there, which did not happen.
A delegation delivered a letter to an official of the Ministry for the Minister of Interior calling on the President of the Republic and members of the Council of Ministers to withdraw the decision to move the asphalt in their area. They also request that the process of issuing the relevant permits (planning, building, leasing) be consolidated in view of the scheduled meeting on April 11.
It is also mentioned that the quarry zones of the communities of Kato Moni and Mitsero, after the recent expansions, have reached a distance of only one kilometer from the residential zones of the communities. The letter also states that this decision circumvents the goal of retaining and increasing the permanent population of the countryside.
Sotiris Kyriakou, community leader of Agrokipia, in his own statements, expressed concern about whether the plant will always operate with the filters after being assured by scholars that in such a case there will be no problem.[BR]"But because it is unprofitable, they take out the filters, and then indeed the odours reach Dali and Constantine and Helen (school)," he said. "Who is telling us that what they bring to us will be perfect and angelic?" he asked.
Their next protest move, he said, is to close the slaughterhouses.
Ioannis Ioannou, community leader of Aredi, called on the government to find a site away from residential areas and move the factories there.
One Mitseros resident, Natasha from Nicosia, said she and her husband decided to move to the village and their child attends Agrokipia Primary School. "With this whole situation, I wonder if this is the state's way of pushing young people to go and stay in the villages, and outside Nicosia, or if it wants to make us move and come back," she said.
Irina Christoforou from Clerou, addressing the President of the Republic and Ministers, said, "I as a mother want to tell you that this is about the future of our children, the health of our children, and I want you to know that we will not be silent, we will be here as much as we need to be." He said they would do the same for their own children.
Representatives of political parties were also present.
Christos Christofias, an AKEL MP, called on the government to listen to the recommendations of the scientists of the independent scientific team of the University of Cyprus which showed, he said, that these factories cannot be near residential areas.
Kyriakos Tsimillis, Vice President A of the Ecologists-Citizens' Coalition Movement, said that pollution is not transferred, but is dealt with by technological means, with proper organisation and the right choice of the location of such plants so as not to affect the quality of life of neighbouring communities.
Source: CNA
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