Maia Bănărescu, People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights and concurrently interim People’s Advocate, is asking Speaker Igor Grosu to halt the adoption of legislation that would permit the incineration of old tires. She requests that public consultations are held with the involvement of representatives from civil society, communities located near the future incineration facilities and other stakeholders to assess the impact of the process on people’s health.
During a meeting with members of environmental organizations, Maia Bănărescu said that the note accompanying the draft law does not contain the results of any ecological assessment or of public consultations on this subject, which amounts to a procedural violation in the lawmaking process.
The participants in the meeting warned that tire incineration has a negative impact on the quality of air, given that air filters do not protect against or diminish the removal of dust, which has a disastrous impact on soil and water, according to a press release.
Maia Bănărescu stated that the draft law may violate the right to live in a healthy environment, the right to life, existence, health and dignity, which are inalienable rights guaranteed by the Moldovan Constitution and the international acts ratified by our country.
A draft amendment to the Law on Waste lifting the interdiction to incinerate tires passed its first reading last December. The bill’s sponsor, MP Ina Coșeru (PAS), cited the experience of foreign countries with circular economies. According to Coșeru, disposing of old tires at landfills causes more environmental harm than incinerating them in controlled conditions.
