Public hearing for the imminent creation of an aluminum extrusion plant in Dali, a fact that has been in the news lately and mainly for its residents area, will take place on the afternoon of Monday, June 17
The public hearing on the issue of the operation of an aluminum extrusion plant in the already environmentally burdened area of Idali, which will take place in a primary school in the area, was convened by the Department of the Environment, with the aim of hearing opinions, objections and any complaints from all those who wish to attend. Representatives of the Department of the Environment are also expected to express their views on the matter, after, supposedly, a months-long investigation of the matter.
The main issue that seems to arise, according to protests by organized groups in the area, has to do with the proximity that the development in question will have to the residential zone. It should be remembered that we are talking about a burdened area and the residents have so far submitted dozens of objections to the Department of Environment, fearing that a polluting and health-threatening industry will operate next to their homes.
Our health is non-negotiable
“As the new mayor of the region, I first of all believe in the inalienable right to the quality of the air we breathe”, the newly elected mayor of South Nicosia – Idali, Stavros Hatzigiannis, emphasizes to “P”. “Our health is out of nowhere and it's definitely not something that's up for negotiation.” “Unfortunately”, adds Mr. Hatzigiannis, “we are dealing with an area with an atmospheric burden, for which, both the organized residents and the Municipality of Idali, we have been trying together for many years to achieve its declassification from a heavy industrial zone . Our obvious wish is that class A factories are not licensed so close to the residential area, and this is a goal we hope and expect to achieve in the next period of time”, he notes.
The development for which the Public Hearing will be held next Monday is, according to the mayor of southern Nicosia, “a plastics factory that requests a change of use for aluminum production”. So far, adds Mr. Hatzigiannis, “an environmental impact assessment study has been carried out by the company, in which there is talk of low amounts of liquid waste. However, after commissioning an additional investigation carried out by a specialist environmentalist on behalf of the municipality, it was found that larger quantities should be taken into account in terms of waste”.
The public consultation on the issue, which will take place on Monday, June 17, at the 3rd Primary School of Idali, at 5 pm, is the second that is being held, and according to Stavros Hatzigiannis, it is being organized by the Department of Environment after objections submitted , both the municipality and organized groups of local residents. “As a municipality we certainly want to ensure the quality of life of the residents and we must have answers for even the smallest detail. From what it can be seen, the air quality is within the prescribed limits, but we need to be given documented answers about the amount of liquid waste. We also want to get access to the sensors that measure the air quality, and why not as a municipality put our own sensors. We also want to have access to the reports published regarding liquid waste and its transport to the treatment plant for domestic and industrial waste in Vathia Gonia”, concludes the mayor.
< b>Urban planning issue
In Cyprus more broadly, there is an inconsistency with urban planning zones, since no distinct boundaries are applied between industrial, livestock, agricultural and residential areas, etc., Efi Xanthou from the Cyprus Ecological Movement underlines from her side in “P”. /p>
Responsibilities are found everywhere, they are collective and they are eternal, believes Ms. Xanthou, referring to the so-called Plan of the Island of Cyprus which is provided by the Constitution of 1960 and was never implemented! “Unfortunately, such issues continue to arise for the residents of the area, since its designation as industrial has legally allowed landowners to operate within a legislative framework. If permission is not granted the private individual has the right to sue the government. If he is given permission and a nuisance arises, the government will pay. In Dali, plots of land and houses should not have been sold in the first place.”
“In Ypsonas, for example, which is considered a mixed zone, it is observed that the Eutrapelo food preparation and appliance factory is located next to heavy industry, as a result of which the citizens are called to act for omissions of technocrats made decades ago. Livestock zones also have a huge problem”.
The problem is timeless, believes Ms. Xanthou, as entrepreneurs have achieved changes in the local plan of each province and we are already done. “So you had a residential zone that had an alpha distance from industrial and suddenly that distance was minimized, which people with their homes in such areas in the past could not predict. The biggest problem and the root of the problem is therefore that there is no comprehensive Island Plan despite the express provision emanating from the Constitution. There must be a long-term strategic horizon and it must be forbidden to change urban planning zones,” he underlines.
Besides, in a parallel development, in the neighboring community of Agia Varvara, a private company intends to erect a metal shelter for the storage of explosives inside prefabricated containers, in derogation of the provisions of the Local Plan for the area south of Nicosia, according to the chairman of the Environment Committee of Parliament, MP of the Environmentalists, Charalambos Theopeptou.
Speaking to politis.com.cy, Mr. Theopeptou explained that certain questions arise regarding the procedures followed by the state in such cases. The company in question, notes Mr. Theopeptou, is requesting a derogation to store explosives in an area for which there is no provision in the urban planning zones for such a thing. Shouldn't we, he wonders, as a state have information about the type and quantity of explosives? “The procedures followed by the state in such cases need improvement. It needs experts on behalf of the State and not on behalf of interested private individuals to certify the safety to reassure the residents of the area”, adds the deputy.
