The slowness of the Macedonian administration and the institutions’ disinterest for quick solving of ecology problems are the main reasons why the poisonous knoll with remains of the waste from smeltery that is still poisoning the citizens of Veles. Even though the Government at the 86th session that took place in September last year has allowed the company “Keps – Mont Group” to take over the concession for the exploitation of the knotgrass at the location Bash Kolibi in the municipality of Veles, the new concessioner has waited for 9 months to receive approval for the exploitation i.e. the clearing out of the knotgrass.
“The exploitation approval was given to us by the end of May this year and it predicts a period of 30 days for lodging complaints. It means that we couldn’t have started with the next part of the procedure until the start of July” said for Meta Agency representatives of the “Keps Mont Group”.
They also informed that after waiting for so long to receive the necessary documentation from the Ministry of Environment and Physical PLanning they started with a procedure for approval of B-Integrated ecological license from the municipality of Veles. In the meantime, a new obstacle stood in their way that is jeopardizing the whole process of exploitation of the knotgrass.
“In order to start working i.e. cleaning of the knotgrass we need electricity. When we filed a request to be plugged in the EVN rejected are request, state the “Keps Mont Group”
When we asked how there was electricity “until yesterday” in order for the smeltery to work and now there isn’t in order for the knotgrass to be cleared out, the company provided an unofficial explanation that in the past there was an unfunctional pylon and that EVN has no intention of renewing this infrastructure for one use only.
“We want to start working as soon as possible because of the purchasers of knotgrass have been expecting the first shipments in June this year. But, if no electricity is provided for the clearing out of the knoll then the exporting of the knotgrass would be nonprofitable if we use aggregate. The whole process would be too expensive – explain the representatives of Keps Mont Group.
They have been working on this project for the third year in a roll and that they have invested thousands of euros in the preparation of necessary studies and preparations, and that each day they lose money when they are not working.
Meta Agency already reported that even though the Veles smeltery isn’t operative for the past 15 years its poisonous remains are still poisoning the environment and a jeopardizing the population’s health. Proof of that is the regular analyses that indicate the presence of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals in the soil and the agricultural products dangerous quantities.
In order for this problem to be solved the poisonous knotgrass has to be removed and then the decontamination of the soil will follow where vegetables and fruits with dangerous levels of heavy metals are grown.
