"We cannot comment on the Government's proposal regarding the construction of a collector in Botun until they send us an official document in writing," said Slavko Vukčević, a resident of that Zeta settlement.
At its session today, the government adopted guarantees given to the residents of Botuni for the commissioning of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
You can read the Government's proposal to the residents of Botuni HERE.
Vukčević said that they were informed about the executive branch's proposals from the media.
"We expect to receive it in writing, to see what the competencies of the local community, or rather the citizens of Botun, are in the decision-making domain, and what the competencies of the Zeta Municipality are. I say, we received nothing - everything was just media," he said.
He pointed out that they were informed about part of the proposal by the Mayor of Podgorica, Saša Mujović, regarding those positions.
Vukčević said that after the remediation of all environmental black spots in Botun, primarily the waste in the Aluminum Plant and the red mud pools, they can discuss "technology and future location", but "certainly without an incinerator".
"Unfortunately, you are witnessing that, despite all guarantees and despite numerous previous governments, the red mud pool has remained unremediated, no protective belt has been created, nor have agricultural households affected by the pollution been compensated," he added.
He noted that, from what he sees in the media, the Government is not giving guarantees, but recommendations.
"It is recommended to the ministries, it is recommended to the Capital City - nothing is firmly committed, it is only recommended. And that is a huge risk when making a decision so important for future generations, for generations in Botun and the entire Zeta region," he underlined.
When asked by a "Vijesti" journalist whether they would allow construction at the proposed location under any conditions, Vukčević replied - difficult.
"The mayor does not mention the cumulative impact on the environment, but only the impact of this plant. And we already have a huge level of pollution. The fact that I am talking about remediation does not mean that we will reach a zero level of pollution - which should be the case when such plants are built. In Botun, the pollution is huge," he said.
According to him, according to European standards, the value of particles in water should be 30, up to 50 in some extreme situations.
"We have a report from state institutions in front of every household that the parameter is 80. So, it is already excessive. And every additional pollutant, even in parts per million, causes damage," he stated.
He said that he understood from the Government's proposal that the Capital City and the Municipality of Zeta should manage the facility, and that the Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for control.
Vukčević said that, if they are sure that this technology is "number one" in the world, why do they foresee the possibility of the plant closing in two years?
"If they are sure it is good? So, they themselves admit that these facilities are not of such high quality and that they may not be able to meet the standards. And one more thing: how is it possible that a facility that is supposed to accommodate 230.000 equivalent inhabitants can, in the event of a failure, redirect wastewater to an existing facility that is in collapse and designed for only 55.000 inhabitants? Five times more? That is technically impossible," he added.
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Asked whether it could then be said that the Government's proposal was not acceptable, Vukčević replied that they had not yet received a written form and did not know "what we could possibly accept as individuals from the local community."
"We did not organize a citizens' assembly, we do not know everyone's opinion, and the responsibility would be enormous. Also, the Municipality of Zeta has some jurisdiction. How can we accept, for example, that about a hundred kilometers of asphalt road are dug up for the sewage network infrastructure in Gornja Zeta without the consent of the Municipality of Zeta? That is impossible. They paved the roads, they have underground infrastructure - cable, electrical, water - and that is a huge risk. We cannot decide on that. The Municipality of Zeta is competent," he said.
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