By Sofia Kannas
MORE than 30 containers of asbestos waste will be buried near the old Amiantos mine, an Environment Services official said yesterday.
The move follows the announcement by the government in March of an asbestos removal programme worth several million pounds.
Environment Officer Costas Papastavrou said yesterday the policy had been decided some months ago by the government and stressed that there was “an urgent need to find a place for these materials.”
According to Papastavrou, between 30 and 35 containers of asbestos waste will be disposed of in the next few months, providing all health and safety requirements are met.
“Over the last four or five years we demolished roofs made from asbestos material on some public buildings, and so far we have about 30-35 containers of asbestos waste,” he said. “We will dispose of the containers near the asbestos mines at Troodos, once we carry out an environmental impact assessment study and management plan, and the rest of the requirements.”
In parallel, the government has decided to demolish asbestos roofs on all public buildings — including schools, which were not previously covered — as well as private sector buildings.
Papastavrou reassured that the disposal programme would not pose any health risk to the public.
“There is no problem at all as regards public health and environment issues,” he said. “We shall take into account all the international recommendations and guidelines of the United Nations and European Commission.
“This (waste) material is not in fibre form, it’s in special plates, which is one more reason why there is no risk at all,” he added.
Parliament passed a law last December introducing strict regulations for the management of solids and hazardous waste: “It’s a new law and we try to follow it strictly in compliance with the acquis communautaire. There are also other special laws regarding the demolition works, involving the safety inspectorate,” Papastavrou said.
The disposal programme is currently being discussed with local authorities in the Amiantos area.
Tenders will also be invited for a series of special disposal sites to be built across the country. The sites, which will be designed for the disposal of asbestos and other chemical substances, will be located mostly at or near abandoned quarries and mines.
Leader of the Greens, George Perdikis, yesterday welcomed the news.
“We had information some months ago that they (the government) were going to create a place in an old asbestos mine and build a waste field there,” he said. “It’s good news as long as…the preconditions put forward by the United Nations and European standards are fulfilled.”
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