Stop to resettle population into Kolontár and Devecser!

Von European Left (21.10.2010)

Last week authorities started to resettle population into the villages struck by the catastrophe of the red mud reservoir of Ajka. According to the opinion of the parties Green Left and Another Policy Is Possible, these arrangements are grossly negligent. Outside the directly affected settlements, an area of more than 10 square meters covered with red mud, the gathering and appropriate allocation of the contaminated material didn’t yet start since the two weeks ago happened fatal accident. According to both official and independent (e.g. Greenpeace) measuring the concentration of dusty fall-out derived from the drying red mud contaminated with heavy metals and other dangerous materials is above the medical limits. We are convinced that the government’s per­mission and promotion of the return of the population is an irresponsible play with the health of touched people.

In addition, it’s raining in the region since yesterday; and forecasts tell rain during the whole week. Further on, news about the static state of the north wall of the damaged X reservoir are not reassuring; the state secretary of protection of the environment said “it can fall in any moment”. If this happens, the stability of more reservoirs is endangered too. In the case of a new accident, dykes built in a great hurry the last two weeks – more or less – defending the village of Kolontár, don’t provide an adequate security for the area. Furthermore, military units who could in an accident execute the evacuation of the population were withdrawn from Devecser. The entire situation implies a high level danger for the life of the communities, whose people returned to the damaged settlements.

As a conclusion, the Green Left and the Another Policy Is Possible demand the Hungarian government to stop resettlement of the population and find an adequate outside location for those who returned to the damaged villages.