Town Council: There is no Plan B for the waste
waste management
29 Mar 2019
/ 07:20
CORFU. Kostas Nikolouzos said, "The matter of the operation of Lefkimmi residue landfill isn΄t my responsibility. The government is determined to speed up all the necessary procedures."
Last night's meeting of the Town Council was devoted almost exclusively to the issue of waste management and Corfu Mayor Kostas Nikolouzos explained the road map that had been announced on 13 March.
All interested parties were present at the meeting: both Temploni Societies and Lefkimmi Cultural Society as well as candidtaes in the upcoming local and regional elections.
After requesting that the discussion be carried out in a peaceful and civilised manner, the Mayor updated the Council and others present on the waste management plan and the latest developments. He stressed that if everything goes according to plan we will be able to manage the waste this summer without any problems. If there are problems, there is no other management plan. The study for the construction of a Waste Management Unit in Temploni is complete - it was submitted on 31 December 2018 and is awaiting final approval. Meanwhile the procedure for commissioning a study for the residue landfill is in progress. Both of these projects will be included in the ESPA (National Strategic Reference Framework) programme with funding of approximately 50m Euros.
The implementation of the four projects - sorting at source, biowaste and recycling and the setting up of green spots - has also been speeded up. These are included in the ESPA programme with a budget of 2.9m Euros.
As regards the waste management transitional phase, the work has been contracted out and will be operational again from 1 April reinforced by a double baling belt. This will be followed by the repair and operation of the South Corfu residual landfill in Lefkimmi.
Once the 5-stremma plot of land owned by the Brotherhood charity has been granted permission in the immediate future, the transportation of residue bales from Temploni will commence.
Furthermore, once the purchase of the adjacent 52 stremma plot of land in Temploni has been completed and the necessary permission granted, the necessary construction work will begin in April for the temporary storage of residue bales along with restoration of the Temploni landfill - with a budget of 3.7m Euros.
Regarding Lefkimmi residual landfill, the Mayor said, "The matter of the operation of Lefkimmi residue landfill isn't my responsibility. I have made many efforts at great personal cost. If the government is determined that Lefkimmi should operate, let them find a way to do it."
Letter from TUI
In response to a question from the 'Kerkyraion Dimos' councillor Nikos Hirdaris regarding the letter from TUI, Kostas Nikolouzos said that he intends to give the same reply that he gave to the Ministry of Tourism, "If all goes well, we won't have a problem in the summer. If something doesn't go as planned, then I don't have an answer."
The fines
In response to a question from councillor Yiannis Kritikos regarding the financial correction of 4.7m Euros, Kostas Nikolouzos said that according to the latest update, if Lefkimmi landfill wasn't operational on 1 March 2019 the EU would charge the amount. The government informed the EU of the recent damage to the facility but nothing has been heard back. Regarding the fine for Temploni landfill, Mr. Nikolouzos said that another fine was expected - even bigger than that of 2012!
Proposal from Lefkimmi Cultural Society
At the meeting time was given for the representatives from Lefkimmi and Temploni to speak. For the first time, Lefkimmi Secretary Yiannis Pandis offered an alternative proposal for an incinerating system and said that they had made exploratory approaches to foreign companies asking for offers.
Temploni President Magda Papanikolopoulou said there had been long-term mismanagement and opposed the plan to bury thousands of tons of waste as part of the renovation and integration of the cells. At the end she broke down saying, "We can't take any more rubbish in Temploni" and was unable to control her tears.
The only response she got from the Mayor was that everything would be done according to the amendments to the environmental regulations, adding that we needed to look at the reality - waste management needs land and space.
All interested parties were present at the meeting: both Temploni Societies and Lefkimmi Cultural Society as well as candidtaes in the upcoming local and regional elections.
After requesting that the discussion be carried out in a peaceful and civilised manner, the Mayor updated the Council and others present on the waste management plan and the latest developments. He stressed that if everything goes according to plan we will be able to manage the waste this summer without any problems. If there are problems, there is no other management plan. The study for the construction of a Waste Management Unit in Temploni is complete - it was submitted on 31 December 2018 and is awaiting final approval. Meanwhile the procedure for commissioning a study for the residue landfill is in progress. Both of these projects will be included in the ESPA (National Strategic Reference Framework) programme with funding of approximately 50m Euros.
The implementation of the four projects - sorting at source, biowaste and recycling and the setting up of green spots - has also been speeded up. These are included in the ESPA programme with a budget of 2.9m Euros.
As regards the waste management transitional phase, the work has been contracted out and will be operational again from 1 April reinforced by a double baling belt. This will be followed by the repair and operation of the South Corfu residual landfill in Lefkimmi.
Once the 5-stremma plot of land owned by the Brotherhood charity has been granted permission in the immediate future, the transportation of residue bales from Temploni will commence.
Furthermore, once the purchase of the adjacent 52 stremma plot of land in Temploni has been completed and the necessary permission granted, the necessary construction work will begin in April for the temporary storage of residue bales along with restoration of the Temploni landfill - with a budget of 3.7m Euros.
Regarding Lefkimmi residual landfill, the Mayor said, "The matter of the operation of Lefkimmi residue landfill isn't my responsibility. I have made many efforts at great personal cost. If the government is determined that Lefkimmi should operate, let them find a way to do it."
Letter from TUI
In response to a question from the 'Kerkyraion Dimos' councillor Nikos Hirdaris regarding the letter from TUI, Kostas Nikolouzos said that he intends to give the same reply that he gave to the Ministry of Tourism, "If all goes well, we won't have a problem in the summer. If something doesn't go as planned, then I don't have an answer."
The fines
In response to a question from councillor Yiannis Kritikos regarding the financial correction of 4.7m Euros, Kostas Nikolouzos said that according to the latest update, if Lefkimmi landfill wasn't operational on 1 March 2019 the EU would charge the amount. The government informed the EU of the recent damage to the facility but nothing has been heard back. Regarding the fine for Temploni landfill, Mr. Nikolouzos said that another fine was expected - even bigger than that of 2012!
Proposal from Lefkimmi Cultural Society
At the meeting time was given for the representatives from Lefkimmi and Temploni to speak. For the first time, Lefkimmi Secretary Yiannis Pandis offered an alternative proposal for an incinerating system and said that they had made exploratory approaches to foreign companies asking for offers.
Temploni President Magda Papanikolopoulou said there had been long-term mismanagement and opposed the plan to bury thousands of tons of waste as part of the renovation and integration of the cells. At the end she broke down saying, "We can't take any more rubbish in Temploni" and was unable to control her tears.
The only response she got from the Mayor was that everything would be done according to the amendments to the environmental regulations, adding that we needed to look at the reality - waste management needs land and space.
