Exasperated Vasiliko area residents are meeting on Wednesday afternoon to decide what strong measures to take to protect themselves environmentally following last Saturday’s outbreak of a toxic tyre fire.
The fire that broke out in piles of tyres in the quarry area was the last straw for the residents of the nearby nine communities who also staged an impromptu protest on Monday.
Insiders said they are now contemplating three imminent measures – the first one being a long-lasting strong protest leading to the closure of the energy hub there. Secondly, all students in the affected communities to abstain from class, and, thirdly, taking legal measures against all concerned over the steady pile of heavy industry in their area.
On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis who visited the area sent the message that the anger of residents near Vasiliko is ‘completely understandable’.
And that the findings of the report by the environment department regarding the fire will be ready on Wednesday and also include the exact conditions of licensing of the tyre management unit and whether those were implemented and checked.
The report would also look into whether the audit office recommendations, published last year, were taken into account.
