Municipality spends up to 2 mln lei annually for foliage removal

The municipality spends every autumn up to 2 mln lei for transportation of fallen leaves. According to the interim mayor Vasile Ursu, the expenses for the foliage removal amounted to about 1.8 mln lei during the last season. Ursu told Info-Prim Neo that last autumn, due to the lack of financial resources the municipal authorities managed to sanitize the entire territory, so the works of removing foliage and works of sanitizing the territories continued in spring as well, when the necessary means were transferred from the Ecologic Fund. According to the interim mayor, this year the municipality also waits for money from the Ecologic Fund, existing some promises in this regard made by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Although the municipality prohibited the foliage burning, and local authorities plead in favor of applying more drastic measures to those who are found guilty, this phenomenon goes on. The State Hydrometeorological Service has recently launched information by which it warns that the foliage burning is a danger for the environment and people’s health. According to the experts, on the days with humid air and fog, micro particles of fume interact with the water vapors, forming the oxidizing smog, which is very injurious to breathing organs. A grave consequence of the incomplete foliage burning consists in the fact that the cellulose forms polycyclic combinations that are part of the persistent organic pollutants (POP). Benzopyrene, which can cause cancer, is the most serious danger.