The construction of the Regional Waste Management Center in Nikšić would enable the establishment of an environmentally and economically sustainable waste management system in that city, which would significantly improve the quality of the environment, the Ecological Movement "Ozon" announced.
They spoke out "in support of the adoption of the State Waste Management Plan 2025-2029, which recognizes the need to establish" that center in Nikšić.
"Given that our representatives participated in the working bodies that worked on the preparation of the draft State Plan, the Law on Waste Management, the local team for the establishment of a legal waste management system in Nikšić, and as an organization that has been conducting activities in this area for 19 years, we recognized the responsibility to accurately inform the public about the importance of establishing a regional waste management center, so as to avoid the politicization of this important infrastructure project," said the director of "Ozon" Aleksandar Perović.
"The regional waste management center, which would be open to the municipalities of Plužine and Šavnik, in addition to the municipality of Nikšić, in accordance with their interest, and which would be an organizational unit of Komunalno Nikšić doo, should basically consist of a transfer station, a recycling and processing facility for waste that can be reused, space for a fleet of vehicles used for waste transport and collection, and after an analysis of the quantities of waste that cannot be recycled, composted, possibly a facility for processing into electrical energy. What is important for the public to know is that the State Plan stipulates that after determining the quantities and morphological composition of waste in all municipalities, a study should be conducted to define acceptable technological solutions, as well as the locations of these facilities, which means that no incinerator or other technologies are currently planned, as has been the case in the public these days," said Perović.
As he said, the Municipality of Nikšić, in cooperation with the relevant Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, with the support of the World Bank, has begun drafting preliminary documentation regarding the preparation of the main project of the regional waste management center, which will "go through legally defined procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals, which is a condition for obtaining a building permit and starting work."
The main design for the transfer station, which will be an integral part of the regional waste management center, is currently in the revision phase, while environmental approval has been obtained for the first recycling yard, and this facility will help establish selective collection of recyclable waste, said Perović.
"Ozon" believes that it is necessary to insist on the transparency of the entire process of preparing to establish a regional waste management center in Nikšić, because citizens as future users need to recognize both their responsibility and the benefits of its construction, both in the context of the environment and public health, i.e. a better life in Nikšić.
"That is precisely why, in constant communication with the local government, we point out the need to implement preparatory campaigns and educational activities, to increase citizens' interest in the cleanliness of the city, which is why we receive support and the opportunity to contribute," said Perović.
He recalls that two years ago, as part of the "Society Against Corruption" project, which they implemented in partnership with the Civic Alliance and BiRN, they prepared a Policy Proposal for Preventing Corruption in the Process of Establishing the Waste Management Center in Nikšić. In doing so, he says, they wanted to make it easier for the competent institutions to prepare activities for establishing a regional waste management center and made recommendations because the public's previous experiences with investments in large infrastructure projects related to the environment, primarily wastewater treatment plants and sanitary landfills, had an impression on the attitude of the citizens of Nikšić that corruption is present during the selection of technological solutions and investors.
"In preparing this document, we also conducted a survey of citizens, which showed that as many as 68,75 percent of respondents recognized the scope for corrupt activities when choosing a technological solution," notes Perović.
"Due to the importance of the issue, we have made recommendations to the local administration to make presentations of potential technological solutions visible through the media, especially the local media service RTVNK, through the official website and social networks of the Municipality of Nikšić, local portals and through a proactive approach to citizens through public forums that would be organized in the Nikšić Municipality Assembly hall, which was previously respected by organizing several events open to the public and investors. As one of the results of the presentations of technological solutions, study visits were also organized, because the municipal team insists on visits to operating facilities in order to see the method of operation, effects on the environment and achieved standards, which in our opinion is the best approach," said the director of "Ozon".
He said that they want to not only participate in the decision-making process and citizen monitoring with a constructive approach, but also to influence the increase in interest among the professional public and citizens in a public, reasoned discussion about important infrastructure projects such as the regional waste management center, because "it is something that we will all use to improve the quality of the environment, and we also have guaranteed rights to participate in the decision-making process."
"We are determined to achieve this and will continue to regularly inform the public about the entire process in order to protect the public interest," the statement reads.
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