Poland 2050 is demanding answers from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki regarding illegal waste dumps. The country faces an urgent ecological threat that demands skilled leadership to neutralize a growing garbage network, said the party’s leader, Szymon Hołownia, on Monday.
Poland 2050 representatives spoke at a press conference about the recent fire at a hazardous materials dump, which broke out last weekend in Przylepa, a residential district of Zielona Góra.
Hołownia noted that more than 2,000 illegal dumps exist across the country.
The whole of Poland, he warned, is a ticking time bomb when it comes to hazardous waste, adding that this is a problem the garbage mafia feeds off and controls.
He emphasized that the physical safety of Polish residents is of the utmost importance.
Therefore, the group planned to address the Prime Minister to present the full facts about illegal dumps in Poland. They intend to remind Morawiecki of overlooked reports, the number of landfills, and the fires that have occurred. The letter to Morawiecki will also request information about waste disposal funds and government actions in this area.
The leader of Poland 2050 pointed out that since December 2020 the National Fund for Environmental Protection has not announced any calls for proposals to fund hazardous waste disposal sites.
Removing such a landfill can cost tens of millions, and in some cases well over PLN 100 million. Many municipalities feel unable to act on their own, Hołownia stressed.
He accused rulers of diverting funds to foundations, villas, and institutions, and he criticized the government’s ability to ensure national security. He deemed it frivolous and irresponsible for PiS to blame the PO after eight years in government.
One of the next government’s first priorities would be to redirect funds currently raised through emissions trading from the ETS system toward environmental goals—such as upgrading electricity grids, expanding green energy, and financing the disposal of toxic ticking bombs found in many parts of Poland, Hołownia said.
“The PiS government has made us feel unsafe in our country”
Hołownia pledged that his party would tackle the garbage mafia and restore a sense of security.
He added that the PiS government has left citizens feeling at risk, describing the situation as a country living on a ticking time bomb that needs a competent solution to defuse it.
Poland 2050 Member of Parliament Paulina Hennig-Kloska announced an interpellation to Climate Minister Anna Moskva regarding the Przylepa fire.
She asked for clear accountability and results, questioning why, given repeated fires at illegal landfills, the government had not acted more decisively.
Fire at Przylepa’s hall
Firefighters have battled a blaze since Saturday in Przylepa, where hazardous substances have been stored since 2012. On Sunday, after a crisis management meeting, Lubuskie Voivode Władysław Dajczak announced that the fire was under control and that residents’ health and safety were not in danger. By Sunday evening, firefighting operations were declared finished, with about 18 firefighters remaining on site overnight.
Under Polish regulations, permits for collecting and disposing of hazardous substances are issued by starosts. In 2012, Przylepa lay within the Zielona Góra district, and the permit for the Awinion company’s landfill was issued by the then starosta of Zielona Góra, Ireneusz Plechan, enabling transport of hazardous waste to the hall of the former meat processing plant.
Referencing the Przylepa fire, PiS president Jarosław Kaczyński stated at a Stawiska rally that Western Poland’s dumps are a consequence of PO governance.
He claimed that much of this waste is German in origin and warned that Poland could face similar situations if the PO returns to power. Kaczyński also criticized Donald Tusk for allegedly inciting fear and making accusations, suggesting the fires could be used as political leverage.
tkwl/PAP
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Source: wPolityce