The incinerator is the worst alternative to landfilling

Author and author are members of the Slovak Conservation Assembly

Fifteen years ago, the Pezinok landfill was at the top of the public interest. Recall that it was supposed to locate a huge landfill near the residential zone of Pezinok.

According to the European Commission methodology, the landfilling itself is the worst method of waste treatment. At the same time, one landfill was already in the city at that time.

The Pezinoks defended themselves

The waste was to be considered there from a wide area, the intention was contrary to the city plan and was not supported by strategic waste management concepts. It was promoted in a non -transparent way and the investor was interested in eliminating the possibilities of the municipal council and the public as much as possible to influence decision -making.

Although in the background of the intention were such influential players like it was at that time Marian Kočnerand had support from the top floors of power (including Prime Minister Robert Fico), Pezinčani, activists and the public after several years of fighting won their match, although they were in the position of David against Goliath.

The case had only an EU Court of Justice, which decided in favor of Pezinok lawyers and experts led by SO Zuzana Čaputová And Jaroslav Paulovič, but especially for the benefit of the Pezinoks themselves, their environment and health.

Of course, the commitment, determination and perseverance of all positively involved was very important, but it would not be enough if there was no effective cooperation between the city management, its inhabitants and activists, respectively. activists.

And now let’s move to the present day, because the case of a particularly similar case of Pezinská dump is emerging. We could calmly call it a case of a Bratislava incinerator.

Let’s mention only a few analogies: in Bratislava The investor plans to radically increase the capacity of municipal and industrial waste incinerations. They should significantly exceed not only the current but also the long -term needs of Bratislava itself, and therefore waste should be considered not only from the surrounding districts, but also from other regions. With the prevailing northwest wind flow, the combustion exhalets would immediately affect tens of thousands of inhabitants of the affected part of the Bratislava agglomeration on both banks of the Danube.

Let us not be mistaken that it is not a landfill, but a waste incineration.

According to the EC methodology, these two waste management methods are the worst and directly motivated to prevent waste, and when it is created to sort and recycle it.

The intention is asserted in silence and the interest in the real participation of the inhabitants concerned in the discussion about it is minimal. Even the background of the intention reminds of Pezinské, although people and occupation may be slightly different.

What are the chances to make it happen as successfully as in Pezinok, respectively. What are the prerequisites to make it happen? In addition to the fact that it wants similarly determined “leaders and leaders of self -defense”, it is also necessary to stand up for their inhabitants by the city, city districts and the management of neighboring villages.

One of the first swallows is, in addition to the petitions and activities of some deputies, the declaration of the Slovak Conservation Assembly (SOS), in which the Assembly strongly rejects the intention of Slovnaft, AS, to build the largest incinerator of municipal and industrial waste in Slovakia.

What is all threatened

According to the SOS, the project poses a great environmental and health risk. The affected part of the Bratislava agglomeration has been suffering from excessive environmental burden and endangering the health of the population for a long time. Further increase this load is inadmissible.

The implementation of the intention and increasing of the volume of waste combustion would mean increasing the traffic burden in Bratislava and the overall increase in negative impacts on the air and climate, an increase in air pollution in the already burdened area, where two of the largest pollutants in the capital: Slovnaft and incinerator Zevo/OLO. Nitra and Trenčín regions, contrary to the principle of proximity and self -sufficiency in the management of waste together with the risk of its imports from abroad, the risk of contamination of the groundwater of the rye island in violation of Act no. 305/2018 ZZ, where it is forbidden to build new or expand old industrial operations, serious problems with subsequent management of cinder and ash, which will contain heavy metals and other toxic substances as well as insufficient levels of flue gas purification using the proposed cleaning technology that lags behind the standards used, for example, in the Czech Republic.

Signatories and signatories consider the declarations to be a possible safety risk for the following reasons: the location of the incinerator directly in the protection zone of the oil pipeline, near existing production units (such as ethylene unit) and tanks for storing hazardous substances, lacking complex and cumulative assessment of risks and threats and their impact on the surrounding areas.

As it is stated at the end of the statement: “We are convinced and convinced that the expansion of waste incineration Bratislava does not need, on the contrary, it needs to separate and recycle waste more consistently and prevent it as required by the European Commission. The approaching day of the Earth, but to strengthen the confidence of citizens and citizens to their elected representatives. ”