Articles on landfilling from the former Hungarian versions of Waste Diver (Kukabúvár)

The Story of a Regional Landfill

The Regional Waste Management and Environmental Local Governmental Association of Northeast-Pest County wished to build a landfill for ninety-nine municipalities in Pest and Nógrád counties with an subsidy from the European Union worth 3.3 billion forints (≈ 13 5oo ooo €). However, the inhabitants of several small villages held referendums and refused the establishment of the landfill. Although, the population of a small village, Valkó, had agreed on the building, no investment was carried out there, because a few months later the leadership of the Association accepted the suggestion of the Ministry of the Environment. The suggestion proposed the expansion and the modernisation of the nearby operating landfills instead of building a new one.

It’s worth to observe what happened in the rejecting small villages at the time of the referendum. EMLA and HuMuSz followed the events…

Püspökszilágy: successful ISPA-tender that had almost any stable point in the background: it was not elaborated on professionally and people did not support it. The only known information was that an Austrian firm would be the investor. This potential location failed due to two reasons. For us the fact that the territory was unsuitable is more important, but on the referendum people might have been more influenced by the mayor’s suspicious actions including property speculations.

Sződ: Although, the representatives liked it, and they counted on particularly the income from the taxes, and the territory might have been suitable, and there was no property speculation, the inhabitants did not approve it. The local government of Sződ, similarly to many Hungarian local governments, neglected one thing: representatives did not find it important to involve the population into the decision process. Yet, the inhabitants were firm and disapproved the establishment of the landfill. Beyond the imagined and real dangers the result of the referendum was probably due to people’s protestation against the government’s practice of ignoring them in the process of decision-making.

Kosd, Kartal, Keszeg, Verseg, Hévízgyörk, and Romhány: As in Sződ, the council stood opposite the population. Due to the serial rejections, people had become increasingly distrustful of the landfill. In several municipalities even marking out the potential site of landfill gave reasons for suspicion. The situation was more complicated, because in the background two companies with interests in waste business were competing for the future profits of the regional landfill. In every village the same civil (?) organisation campaigned against the landfill. The company that seemed to be driven out of the business might have supported this organisation. Owing to the actions of the civil organisation and to the lack of proper information, the most fears against the landfill were groundless and originated in ignorance. But knowing the final decision we can claim that good decisions were made on the referenda. In spite of the “dirty” background, we hope that the people have learnt that they can say ‘no’ to an ill-prepared decision of the local government.

Valkó: An unexpected ‘yes’. Still, it will not be built here. Might the people have received more information from the local government? Might the expected economic advantages have been more tempting here than in other municipalities? Although, it is decided that there is no need for a new landfill, these questions are worth meditating on. Might the whole process have been unnecessary?

Gödöllő and Nógrádmarcal: Finally, a local landfills will be developed and there will not be built a new landfill in the region (for the time being). It is a reasonable solution, but why was not this the first step? Perhaps more money can be given to closing down old landfills, to developing a selective collecting system and to solving the recovery of secondary materials with the savings.

We can be certain in a few things: hundreds of millions forints were spent on this landfill. Those, who received this money (experts, lobbyists), must have been satisfied.

This landfill aroused strong emotions. Those, who succeeded in preventing it from being built in their village, might be satisfied now, since they avoided an ill-prepared investment in their neighbourhood. Still, they might regret the time they wasted on protesting. If the state authorities and the local governments had done their job properly, all these locations would not even have been considered. If we look at the issue from the more global point of view, we can say only one thing about it: what has happened so far is nothing else but waste of money.

After the modification of the law on the National Plan for Territory Arrangements, regional landfills can be built 500 metres (instead of 1000 metres) from the boundaries of municipalities or 13 kilometres (instead of the former 15 km) from airports. How could all this happen? Well, as follows here….

There was a law. Experts and lawyers prepared a bill together with much work. The bill was sent to NGOs, local authorities, and to the government’s advisory body. They were waiting for their opinions and their professional standpoint regarding the bill. Different committees in the Parliament (in this case the Committee of Economy, the Committee of Environment, and the Committee of Country Developing) also discussed the always-changing material. Eventually, the Parliament discussed the final form of the bill and accepted the law in the winter of 2003.

Next spring, already, some politicians and enthusiastic supporters appeared who were interested in some modifications in the law. They introduced together a modifying proposal. Their parties were backing them, and since we are talking about the two largest parties, the proposal was widely supported.

Meanwhile, some NGOs sensed it. They were not glad about it, because the planned modification would further the deterioration of our environment and health. They asked for the help of other organisations, explaining them the whole situation. Eventually, 55 health protection and environmentalist organisations supported the petition in which they asked the decision-makers not to back the modifying proposal. In the beginning the press did not pay much attention to the issue, but later started to report on it. However, even this did not seem sufficient, though the planned modification violates the state constitution, clashes with both Hungarian and international law, and it brings up serious questions regarding legal certainty. In spite if these problems, the representatives in the Parliament accepted the modification unanimously.

It is interesting that the constantly arguing right-wing and left-wing politicians agree frequently when they have to make decisions that endanger our health and environment. It is frightening how individual representatives can enforce their interests. Still, non-governmental organisations did not give up: they turned to the President of Hungary.

It was the president’s turn who did not interfere, so the modified law came into force. Meanwhile, two other representatives introduced a proposal to modify the law back to its original form…

Legislation in 2004, Hungary, European Union…