The Green Ecologist Party is asking Minister of Environment Iuliana Cantaragiu to resign over a number of decisions that it considers “harmful to the environment”.
During a rally outside the Government building on Monday, the party mentioned in particular the Ministry’s intention to authorize incineration of tires and waste, and the permission to import scrap metal for the Rîbnița Steel Works, among others.
“The Green Ecologist Party has always advocated for professionalism and fairness in state institutions, as a vital condition for ensuring a sustainable development of any democratic society, including in Moldova, which for thirty years has been looking for what economic model to practice. We have none, we have chaos. The same is true for environmental protection”, declared the party.
In reaction to the rally, the Ministry of Environment issued a statement to note that developed countries use waste incineration as an alternative solution to generate energy. “Moldova should have all the options for treating solid waste, including tires, in order to reduce their accumulation.”
According to the Ministry, there are more than 1 million cars in Moldova, and car owners change their tires once every 3-4 years or even more often, leading to enormous amounts of waste. At present, used tires are either stored or burned in an uncontrolled fashion, and only a small amount of large tires are recycled.
“Scientific studies, but also the experience of civilized countries show that the storage of any type of waste, including tires, is the most harmful solution for human health and the environment, much worse than incineration or co-incineration (…) Waste incineration means transforming it into energy, amounting to a sustainable and intelligent solution,” the statement said.