Greenpeace marked dioxin contaminate nature reserve near SpolanaPraha/Libis, 5 June 2003 -- Greenpeace activists from three countries today, the International Day of the Environment, marked an area near the Czech chemical plant Spolana with warning signs. The area is polluted with highly toxic dioxins and poly- chlor-bifenyls (PCBs). The area belongs to the Cerninovsko nature reserve and the Libis brook. (1) The dioxin concentrations in the reserve and in the stream coming from Spolana exceed several hundred times the values found in other places in the Elbe and in important industrial agglomerations. We wanted to mark the area, where for instance it is not good for children to play. This area should also not be used for domestic animals, like chicken, ducks, rabits, geese and pigs, informed Dr. Miroslav Suta, Greenpeace toxic expert. In the surroundings of Spolana, elevated concentrations of dioxins have been found in sediments from 20-25 cm depth, fresh sediments on the surface were contaminated with higher values. This leads to the conclusion that Spolana evidently contaminated its surroundings already for a long time, although last year's flood clearly added to the problem (2). Dioxins originate in Spolana from several present and former processes, like for instance the production of pesticides, amalgam electrolysis for the production of chlorine, incineration of toxic wastes and the production of PVC. Analysis of fatty tissue samples from ducks and chicken eggs near Spolana, taken by Greenpeace, showed elevated concentrations of dioxins several times the EU limits. Spolana should decontaminate the most contaminated areas outside of the chemical plant itself, like for instance the Libis stream. They should furthermore compensate owners of contaminated areas, stressed Suta. After repeated warnings from Greenpeace, Spolana already years ago refused to secure contaminated objects against flooding or releases of dioxins into the air. Around these polluted buildings of Spolana, in the past concentrations of dioxins were found that were that high that they meant a direct threat to human health and exceeded more than 2000 times the limits recommended by the State Health Authority (3). To get Spolana take measures to secure the dioxin buildings, Greenpeace already on the 6th of February 2002 filed a criminal complaint, which the police for unclear reasons put aside (4). Another criminal complaint was filed on the 19th of May 2003 for endangering the environment and causing a general hazard by those responsible for contaminating the Cerninovsko reservation. Already for a long time, Greenpeace demands that Spolana secures the contaminated sites against leakage of toxic substances into the environment, and that it decontaminates these areas and buildings safely. During the floods in August 2002, the Elbe River flooded the complete Spolana factory and the company had to admit that thousands of tons of chemical substances had washed into the environment. The Czech Inspectorate for the Environment gave Spolana a penalty of 1.4 Million Czech Crowns (around 45.000 Euro), but Spolana denies its responsibility and appealed against this decision. FURTHER INFORMATION: Dr. Miroslav Suta, (Czech, English) Greenpeace toxic expert, mobile: +420.603 443 140, tel.: +420.224 319 667, +420.233 332 289, e-mail: miroslav.suta@cz.greenpeace.org Ir. Jan Haverkamp (English, German, Dutch, Czech), Greenpeace Campaign Director in the Czech Republic, mobile: +420.603 569 243, e-mail:jan.haverkamp@cz.greenpeace.org Mgr. Tomas Tetiva , (Czech, English) Greenpeace media assistant, mobile: +420.603 414 739, e-mail: tomas.tetiva@cz.greenpeace.org Internet:
http://www.greenpeace.cz/agentorange/index_en.htm NOTES FOR THE EDITOR: (1) In the sediment of the blind Elbe River arm, on 24.6.2002, 518,6 pg TEQ dioxins/gramm sediment was measured. In samples of 02.10.2002, the values were 30,7 and 35,6 pg TEQ dioxins/g. After the floods, the part of the most dangerous dioxin 2,3,7,8 tetra-chlor-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) had increased. This dioxin is typical for wastes stored at Spolana. According a methodological assessment of the Czech Environment Ministry the background concentration of dioxins is around 1 pg TEQ/g. More information (incl. measurement tables) can be obtained from the Czech office of Greenpeace. Also more information can be found in the Greenpeace press release Contaminated nature reserve Cerninovsko will be investigated by the police of 19 May 2003. (2) Holoubek, I, e.al.: Shrnuti mereni kontaminace okoli Spolany Neratovice polychlorovanymi dibenzo-p-dioxiny, dibenzofurany a bifenyly po povodnich 2002, podklady pro jednani meziresortni skupiny expertu (Summary of contamination measurements of poly-chlor dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofuranes and bifenyls around Spolana Neratovice after the floods of 2002, documentation for the meeting of the inter-departmental group of experts), TOCOEN Report No. 236, Brno, http://www.env.cz (3) In the air around building A 1420 the expert laboratory Axys Varilab found dioxin concentrations of 51.900 fg TEQ/m3, which is over 2000 times the limit recommended by the State Health Office of 20 fg TEQ/m3. The health requirement analysis for Spolana, done by the AQUATEST laboratory says: ... it has to be noted that concentrations TeCDD higher than tens to hundreds of pg/m3 already after relative short exposure times could have severe negative health effects. More in the Greenpeace press release: Spolana also contaminates the air with toxic dioxins! , http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/en/020222en.htm (4) Greenpeace filed on 6 Februari 2002 a criminal complaint at the police in Melnik against the management of Spolana Neratovice, because they did for many years not secure the buildings and sites contaminated with high concentrations of dioxins and mercury against flooding. The police shelved the investigation still before the floods. More in Greenpeace Press Release: Spolana also contaminates the air with toxic dioxins!, http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/en/020222en.htm
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