The pros and cons of zeolite
The black and white of zeolite
The black and white of zeolite | Zeolife.gr
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE ‘FORGETS’ KEY DETAILS IN HIS REPLY TO MPs
By SAKIS APOSTOLAKIS sakisapostolakis0(at)gmail.com
They are concealing the truth about zeolite even from the very MPs who asked the questions. The government’s hypocrisy regarding the ban on zeolite mining in Petrota, Evros, is revealed by the response from the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Asimakis Papageorgiou, to the MPs who raised the question, Alexandros Kontos and Evripidis Stylianidis.
The Ministry’s response
It should be noted that the Deputy Minister is one of five political figures under scrutiny as part of a public prosecutor’s investigation into their responsibilities or omissions regarding the zeolite investment in Evros. The investigation, which was referred to Parliament under the law on ministerial accountability, has now been consigned to oblivion.
In response to the question put by A. Kontos and E. Stylianidis, A. Papageorgiou replied as follows:
‘1. There are no pending applications with the competent licensing authority of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change for the granting of a new licence to operate a zeolite quarry in the prefecture of Evros.
2. Should there be commercial interest in a particular public area, expressed in a written application to the relevant Decentralised Administration, then the latter must expedite and prioritise the procedures for leasing that land, applying the terms and conditions of legality laid down in the relevant legislation (Law 669/1977 – Government Gazette A’ 241 and Presidential Decree 285/1979 – Government Gazette A’ 83)’.
What A. Papageorgiou fails to mention in his reply is that there was an investment proposal worth 40 million euros, but the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change did not proceed with the issue of the mining licence. It was blocked once by Yiannis Maniatis in his capacity as Deputy Minister and once by A. Papageorgiou himself, who continued in the same vein as his predecessor.
For this reason, the responsibilities or omissions of both of them, as well as those of three further political figures, are being examined as part of the public prosecutor’s investigation.
A. Papageorgiou also fails to mention that the file for the issue of the mining licence was sent ‘complete’ by the Decentralised Administration of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace to the competent Directorate of Mining and Industrial Minerals of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, as stated in a document issued by the competent regional authority. Finally, the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change does not mention that the Decentralised Administration of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace proceeded to sign the lease agreement for the public land in question whilst acting in full compliance with the law, as revealed by the public prosecutor’s own investigation.
Over 20 billion euros ‘locked up’
zeolite is a ‘trapped’ resource valued at over 20 billion euros, according to the new regional governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Giorgos Pavlidis. “This is a resource that remains trapped within bureaucratic legislation,” he stated during the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace’s participation in the 79th Thessaloniki International Fair.
The exploitation of zeolite in a region plagued by unemployment would have multiple benefits, says G. Pavlidis
He also expressed his determination to capitalise on this advantage. According to research, zeolite deposits in Thrace amount to 100 million tonnes, whilst the value of zeolite is estimated at 300 euros per tonne.
The price and revenue could be much higher if the mineral were processed in Greece, as the price varies depending on its use; indeed, in addition to agriculture, livestock farming and other activities, it is also used in medicine. For this reason, G. Pavlidis emphasised that zeolite should not be exported unprocessed, so that our country can benefit from the added value that the exceptional quality zeolite from Thrace can offer.
Unemployment
Zeolite mining remains at a standstill at a time when recorded unemployment in this region is reaching its highest levels, standing at 30 per cent. At the same time, deindustrialisation is rife, as, of the 100 businesses that used to operate in the Rodopi Industrial Estate, only seven remain, emphasised G. Pavlidis. In 2011, G. Pavlidis continued, the fall in GDP across the country was 5 per cent and in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, 9.6 per cent. Overall, during the economic crisis, it reached 25 per cent.
And whilst the picture is disheartening and the zeolites remain untapped, the only development plan being promoted by the government in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is gold mining in Evros. G. Pavlidis once again expressed his clear opposition to this. ‘We are opposed to anything that harms health and the environment,’ he emphasised. He also pointed out that tourism lies at the heart of the strategy for the region’s economic and developmental restructuring, a fact that will also be reflected in the planning of the 2014–2020 Regional Operational Programme. At this point, he referred to the important role of the port and airport of Alexandroupoli. However, these, along with those of Kavala, are being sold off by TAIPED. On this issue, he emphasised that: “We are not starting from a position of blind opposition, but neither do we want the strategic and developmental nature of the ports and airports to be undermined.”
SAKIS APOSTOLAKIS
source: Eleftherotypia