More than 300 tons of pesticides and other toxic chemicals considered a public health risk have been removed from a communist-era chemical plant that has been closed for 15 years, authorities said Wednesday.
TIRANA, Albania — More than 300 tons of pesticides and other toxic chemicals considered a public health risk have been removed from a communist-era chemical plant that has been closed for 15 years, authorities said Wednesday.
There is no indication that any chemicals from the vacant plant in Bishti i Palles, 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Tirana, have run off into the Adriatic Sea, but some residents in the area have reported health problems, and pesticides have entered the local water supply. The chemicals have also affected agriculture in an area where 70 families live.
Albania, one of Europe's poorest nations, has been trying to deal with the problem of pollution from closed industrial plants.
The former state-run plant, which closed down after the fall of communism in 1990, is located along the coastline of Durres Bay on the Adriatic, one of the country's main tourist areas.
The clean-up at the plant was paid for with a euro2 million (US$2.56 million) grant from the Netherlands, the Dutch Embassy said.
A German company, Sava, transported the 320 tons of waste to Germany for disposal.
Source: Associated Press
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