Minister defends Ergates decision

By Athena Karsera

LABOUR Minister Andreas Moushiouttas yesterday defended the Cabinet’s decision to give Ergates foundry a year to clean up its emissions.

Replying to residents angered by the decision, Moushiouttas said the decision could not have gone any other way.

An announcement from the residents on Monday said that they were concerned that Moushiouttas’ pledges to find a fair solution had been made “only to impress.”

Moushiouttas yesterday said, “I will just tell you the facts and you can come to your own conclusions. After a meeting with my colleague the Health Minister (Frixos Savvides), there was a meeting at my Ministry, at which (Dr. Michalis) Voniatis was present along with the Health Minister, the owner of the foundry and his lawyers.”

Voniatis has published a damning report highlighting excessive cancer levels in the village, which he says are caused by the foundry’s emissions.

Moushiouttas said the parties had discussed what the Cabinet eventually adopted as its decision.

“That is to say, instead of waiting until January 1, 2001 to limit the emissions from 300 milligrams of particulate per cubic metre of smoke (mg) to 50mg, this would start immediately so that in a few months the goal would be reached.”

Moushiouttas continued that even though Voniatis had not been bound by what he said, he had agreed with this stance and said he believed that the residents would also accept this.

According to Voniatis’ tests, the Marios and Andreas foundry has been poisoning the residents with cancer-inducing lead, cadmium and possibly dioxin.

Voniatis has said that compliance with the 50mg EU standard should take place within the next six months.

The Labour Ministry, which is responsible for issues of industrial pollution, has already filed a suit against the foundry for allegedly exceeding the 300mg Cyprus emission standards.

It has also sued the Nemitsas foundry in Zakaki on the same grounds.

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