Turkish builders of the future wastewater treatment plant in Botun are required to comply with numerous domestic laws concerning the health of citizens and the environment, as well as a number of international directives in this area.
This, according to the part of the contract with the Turkish consortium "Kuzu-Alkatraš" published last night, particularly refers to the sludge incinerator, which the citizens of the Zeta region emphasize as the most harmful segment of the plant to their health.
“The design of the sewage sludge incineration plant (incinerator) must comply with the Air Protection Act and the Regulation on limit values for emissions of pollutants into the air from stationary sources. The design of the incinerator must comply with the following: Directive 2014/68/EU on pressure equipment (PED), Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery, Directive 2006/95/EC on low voltage equipment (LVD). The design of the flue gas and exhaust air treatment system must comply with Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions (IED). The thermal oil boiler system and its control system must be designed and manufactured in accordance with DIN 4754 - heat transfer installations operating with organic heat transfer fluids,” states, among other things, the document of more than 3.000 pages for a job worth 47 million euros.
Yesterday, the government offered the residents of Botunja the rehabilitation of the red mud pool while the construction of the plant is underway, the inclusion of representatives of that settlement and the Municipality of Zeta in the process, the publication of part of the contract with the Turkish consortium, constant measurements of harmful gas emissions, and the promise that Podgorica would suspend the operation of the collector if pollution exceeds what is foreseen by European directives.
However, the people of Botunja still do not find these government proposals acceptable. They had a meeting with the Prime Minister last night. Milojko Spajić, mayor Saša Mujović, Minister of Ecology Damjan Ćulafić and director of the Podgorica Waterworks Aleksandar Nišavić, during which they were officially presented with the Government's conclusions, announced yesterday during the day.
Representative of Botun Dusko Stijepović He said that the delegation of that Zeta settlement "received some guarantees from the Government, and a guarantee from the Parliament of Montenegro was also offered."
"We, the representatives, are not authorized to make any decisions. Everything we discussed tonight, we will present at the citizens' assembly. We remain committed to our position and will not deviate from it," said Stijepović, emphasizing that the people of Botunja did not have time to study the proposals, but also that they need professional help for this, so as "not to be hasty."
"They gave guarantees at the government level, and they also offered to confirm them at the Parliament. We planned the citizens' meeting for the middle of next week, after the referendum. We stand by the proposal to build the plant near the 'Luča' bridge. I don't think the authorities agree with that," said Stijepović.
After the meeting, Mujović said that the people of Botunja had taken the conclusions and promised to inform other locals about them.
"In the coming days, we can expect their final position - whether they are satisfied, whether any additional intervention or guarantee is needed. We are doing everything to restore the trust of citizens, which is the point of all these conclusions," said Mujović.
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The first man of the Municipality of Zeta Mihailo Asanović yesterday he said that it is up to the people of Botuni to decide whether the government's proposals are acceptable to them. He said at a press conference in the Parliament of Montenegro that the citizens of Botuni are demanding that the collector be relocated, and that it would be ungrateful for him to speak on their behalf because they have been protesting for 20 years, and he has been the head of the municipality for three years.
"Let the citizens freely express their opinion in the referendum," he said.
Leader of DNP Milan Knezevic also claimed in the Parliament yesterday that "the red mud pool is not waste, but is classified as a technogenic mineral raw material." He also said that this is defined by the Mining Law, so the Ministry of Ecology cannot manage the project, as it is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Mining and Energy.
The Minister of Ecology responded to his claim an hour later from the Government's press center. Damjan Ćulafić:
"For me, it is waste and a pollutant that will be remediated. Again, we have a novelty in a type of request that Mr. Knežević is making to the Government. I will tell you and I will tell Mr. Knežević, for me, red mud is both waste and a pollutant. And that is why the pool will be remediated. No one in the Government is thinking about whether red mud should be monetized and commercial benefits should be made from it. The Government is focused on solving the ecological problem and the health of the citizens of Zeta. I must admit that I am a little surprised by Mr. Knežević's attitude that he does not think about this fact but rather relativizes it."
Mujović emphasized that the location of the plant itself cannot be changed, and he also said that the Government is providing the money, and that Botun is the one who manages this process.
"They are the bosses. They say who will work, who will be the director...", said Mujović, adding that the people of Botunja decide when the plant starts operating.
"This facility has caused dissatisfaction among the residents of Botun. We are in the unfortunate position of possible riots, and we want to avoid that," said Mujović.
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