During the last few years since waste started to be deposited at the landfill near Bubuieci commune, the ecological state in the area has worsened. Specialists say this waste dump is an ecological bomb that can cause different infections, with a serious impact on health. In a working meeting called by the people’s ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai, this said that the problem is to be examined from the angle of the observance of the rights to private and family life and to domicile, which imply the right to live in a healthy environment, IPN reports.
Mihail Cotorobai said the People’s Ombudsman Office made a number of approaches, asking for information from a number of institutions and this confirms the seriousness of the situation. Closing this waste disposal site that is over 9 hectares in area could an efficient solution.
Mayor of Bubuieci Ion Saranut said the situation has worsened, but concrete actions are not taken, even if the central authorities, in their responses, say this waste dump is illegal and should be closed. Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of household waste from all the districts of Chisinau are taken there daily. “We warned in 2010 initially that we will witness such an ecological situation and it is indeed an ecological bomb as millions of cubic meters of waste were stored there. Besides, there are liquid leakages that cause an unbearable specific smell and a huge lake appeared near the dump,” he stated.
Attending the working meeting, director of the Chisinau Public Health Center Luminita Suveica said the waste dump implies major epidemiological risks. Public health specialists tested the quality of water in mine wells located in Bubuieci commune and established that this does not meet the norms, including by the content of nitrates and residues. The Chisinau Public Health Center has authorized no waste dump on the territory of Chisinau municipality and such a landfill should be located far from the population.
Head of the protection service of the Public Amenities Division Vasile Efros said the municipality recognizes the gravity of this problem. Earlier, the waste was transported to the landfill site in Tantareni, but after the locals opposed, it was decided to take waste to the Purcel Mine in Bubuieci on a temporary basis. Negotiations are now held to resume the storing of waste in Tantareni and the municipality is ready to provide a financial benefit for the local budget. The local authorities in Tantareni haven’t yet agreed. The municipality needs about €20 million to close the Purcel Mine and modernize a waste sorting plant so as to reduce the quantity of waste that could be taken to the landfill in Tantareni.
