The trade union of Jugohrom stated at today’s press conference that the accusations of the association “Eco Guerilla” are incorrect and unevidenced, and are obstructing the plant’s start of work.
They ask Eco-Guerilla why they didn’t accept their initiative for an accredited laboratory to be engaged in measuring the air in Tetovo.
“Jugohrom is not operating for two years because air purification filters have not been installed. The Government is categorical that Jugohrom cannot start operating until the filters are installed. Work is intensely being carried out on the filter station and it is expected that this process will be completed very soon.”
Eco-Guerilla came out with an announcement in which they say that it is not true that they think they are above the institutions, but that they are just demanding for the Constitution and legal regulations to be respected.
As Arianit Xhaferi from Eco-Guerilla stated for CIVIL-Media, all the data that they present in the public are official measurements from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning.
“Jugohrom is afraid of an independent monitoring. If everything is in order and they have nothing to hide, then why don’t they want an independent monitoring? Putting filters means greater power consumption. Is that the reason for their delaying?”, says Arianit Xhaferi.
“The number of children with respiratory diseases for the period before and after the closing of Jugohrom have been taken from the Institute for Public Health of the Republic of Macedonia. In 2015, when Jugohrom was working, there were 31,446 cases, while in 2017 when it was not working there were 18,575 cases. We don’t believe in the promises of Jugohrom and the Government, because we have been misled for years.
We want to inform Jugohrom and Deputy Prime Minister Angjusev that Macedonia has signed and has an obligation to apply the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental issues”, is said in Eco-Guerilla’s statement.
At the beginning of the month, Eco-Guerilla kept receiving threats and blackmail from various individuals, with the purpose for them to keep silent and not to deal with the work of Jugohrom.
Eco-Guerilla reported this case to the Sector for Internal Affairs in Tetovo, without expecting for the person who anonymously threatened them to be found.
“We do not expect justice, however, we would still like to convey and let them know that we will not give up, it’s not about our own safety, it’s about the safety of the citizens of Tetovo, regardless if it concerns Albanians, Macedonians, Turks, Roma or other minorities, whether they are Muslims or Christians or atheists. Pollution does not discriminate on any ground, so not even the politicians are left out. Their families also breathe the same air”, stated Xhaferi for CIVIL Media regarding the threats then.
Biljana Jordanovska
This post is also available in: Macedonian
