Press release |
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20/2002 |
GREENPEACE: SPOLANA - DIOXINS IN THE AIR - MERCURY TO THE ELBE
Neratovice/Prague
6 May 2002 - Eight Greenpeace activists hung today morning a huge banner
"SPOLANA: DIOXIN VE VZDUCHU - RTU DO LABE" (SPOLANA - DIOXINS
IN THE AIR - MERCURY TO THE ELBE) from the roof of one of the administrative
buildings of Spolana Neratovice, Czech Republic.
The
Greenpeace action warns for serious damage to the environment by toxic
waste on Spolana's premises. "Spolana has to solve the problem
that dioxins get into the air - and fast!" said Dr. Miroslav Suta,
toxic expert of Greenpeace, "And also the problem that tens of
tons of toxic mercury lay unprotected in the Elbe flood zone."
Greenpeace
expects from Spolana that it soon will protect the dioxins from airing
out. Chemical analyses of the air around the dioxin contaminated buildings
showed concentrations of this highly toxic substance of over 3000 times
the limit valid in neighbouring Germany. The Czech Republic does not
know an official limit.
Also
Spolana should protect the mercury contaminated soil in such a way,
that it is not endangered by high water in the Elbe. "In the view
of the danger that both substances pose to environment and people, everything
should happen on the shortest possible term," said Dr. Suta.
Already
from spring 2001 Greenpeace urges Spolana to secure the contamination
from airing out and flooding until the toxic substances have been completely
removed. Spolana has played down the danger a long time, but under growing
pressure built a wall around object 1030, which was contaminated with
dioxins.
Further
information:
Dr. Miroslav Suta, coordinator of the Greenpeace toxics campaign
in the Czech Republic [English, Czech],
mobile: +420.603.443140, tel.: +420.2.24319667, fax: +420.2.33332289
e-mail: miroslav.suta@cz.greenpeace.org
Mgr. Tomas Tetiva (Czech, English), media assistant mobil: +420.602.775
044,
e-mail: tomas.tetiva@cz.greenpeace.org
Jan Haverkamp, Greenpeace campaign director in the Czech Republic
[English, German], mobile: +420.603.569243
http://www.greenpeace.cz/agentorange/index_en.htm
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