Waste from an illegal dump in Ivanka pri Dunaji (Bratislava region) has contaminated groundwater, Interior Minister Roman Mikulec and Environment Minister Jan Budaj (both OLaNO) stated on Thursday.
According to the environment minister, the dump that caused a very serious level of contamination was not created overnight and a number of clerks must have provided cover for it. The interior minister stated the matter is among the most serious crimes that are currently being investigated. He refused to provide further details due to the ongoing probe. When asked whether the waste from the dump could have been transported and used in embankments at the D4/R7 motorway construction site near Bratislava, Mikulec replied that the relevant authorities are looking into it. "Trucks, obviously, visit this place. The question of where they transport the material is being investigated," he noted. In addition to that, Budaj ordered the Environment Inspection Office to examine the surroundings of the area in order to learn how far the contamination has spread.
Meanwhile, the Environment Minister aims to amend the wording of the law on waste, which, according to him, is unclear, as on one hand it bans imports of foreign waste into Slovakia, but on the other allows imports of processed waste for energy recovery.
Budaj referred to the specific case of a supposed furniture manufacturing plant in Hainburg, Austria, which produces a great amount of wood waste. The manufacturer has concluded an agreement that allows it to export the waste to Slovakia, where it is used for energy recovery. The minister explained that in reality there is no such plant in Hainburg and the waste imported to Slovakia is not used for the stated purpose. "Austrian and Italian cities often get rid of waste [in this way], and Slovak waste incineration plants and cement works use it to make some money on the side," said Budaj.
The minister wants to discuss the law's lack of clarity with nature conservationists as well as businesses. "Waste is imported here from our neighbours, they [take care of their land], and we've become a solution for them while causing trouble for ourselves," he said.
