More inspection visits to Temploni landfill!

There is a compulsory inspection visit every four months but this visit is also due to complaints from Temploni Cultural Society. There have been several previous inspections of the facility and at each one violations of environmental regulations have been observed - with corresponding fines of tens or hundreds of thousands of Euros.

On the previous visit the complaint was about the so-called "fourth cell", which doesn't officially exist as the landfill only has permission for three cells - all of which are oversaturated and have been sealed following the decision of the Regional Administration as well as a court decision.

The "fourth cell" is the huge mound that has built up in an unlicensed area with refuse waiting to be baled. Meanwhile, thousands of tons of waste bales have collected - once again - in the neighbouring area. The recent complaint from the Temploni residents was regarding this issue - the interim management and the creation of a 'wall' of waste bales taking up every inch of land at the facility and the consequent dangers, even of work accidents.

The Cleansing Association, which still hasn't been able to obtain the long-awaited permission for use of the neighbouring land for storage or for the use of Lefkimmi, is more than likely to find itself facing another fine or, even worse, to have the facility closed and sealed.

Bearing in mind the fact that the Lefkimmi facility still hasn't been licenced due to serious deficiencies and that the Ministry for the Interior still stubbornly refuses to allow the transportation of waste to the mainland - and nothing has been done regarding the revision of the Regional Plan for Waste Management (PESDA) - we can perhaps await another 'hot' summer.