Author: Alfred Zylyftari
For months, Durrës has been in a state of collapse due to urban waste. The whole tourist season passed with problems for the cleaning of the city. Neighborhoods and administrative units are cleaned, only when containers and the surrounding sidewalk or street overflow. The observation in the month of July to September of 2021 showed that the peak reached exactly in July and the most problematic areas were identified: Lagjja 13 or the beach area, Spitalla, the area of the former Swamp and Arapaj. Also, Lalzi Bay and Rodoni Cape, which, although they are suburban areas, are often visited by tourists, again had the same problem with urban waste. On the way from Gjiri i Lalzi to Cape Rodoni, you are faced with "mountains" of garbage, which have obviously not been cleaned for days. Some Polish tourists, who were in the area, expressed surprise at how it is possible for this natural beauty to be neglected by local institutions.
Tourists also enjoy the sea of garbage
Durrës is the second largest city in Albania. It has over 200,000 inhabitants and is visited by more than 150.000 tourists during the summer season. The city, soon, within a strategic investment the number of tourists and daily visitors is expected to increase. But, in the current situation, waste management is seen as a problem, which can negatively affect the tourist potential of the city.
Business administrators say that waste is a big problem, since, in addition to the diseases they cause and the bad smell, they create a bad image in the eyes of tourists. An owner of a hotel, who had trash cans in front of his business, said: "The non-cleaning of garbage is a constant problem. These baskets are the first sight for tourists, before they enterë in the hotel and there have often been complaints about the bad smell. We have appealed to the municipality, but they are cleaning them at the moment and still let them become mountains. I hope that a long-term solution will be found, because tourists are not here all year round, but for us who stay here permanently, it is more of a problem". Many hotels and bars in this area also raise the same concern.
The impact on the reduction of the number of tourists due to environmental pollution is also accepted by Kliton Gërxhani, vice president of the association of Tour Operator Agencies in Albania. "Environmental pollution always affects tourism. Even when they don't say it directly, you take it at face valueëthe mistakes they leave on the Internet or in the non-arrival of quality tourists and their replacement by poor tourists, who also accept pollution and dirt for the low price", he explains.
A decade of strategies and decisions, but no visible changes
In May 2020, the Council of Ministers issued a decision on the strategic policies of National Management Plan Urban Waste, in which it is noted that only four are working in Albania landfills-e: Bajkaj (Saranda), Bushat (Shkodër), Maliq (Korçë) and Sharre (Tirana). It is reported that during 2018, around 923,316 tons/year of urban waste or 60,61% of the waste, which is calculated as the amount generated in the country, of which only 401,755 tons/year (or 26,37, XNUMX% of them), are deposited in landfills-sanitary, while the rest or 13,01% of solid household waste is thrown completely uncontrolled. This shows another problem of the urban waste management system, that of mismanagement by the local government and the lack of cooperation with the central government for the good implementation of these strategies.
The monitoring developed for this strategy is based on the indicators according to the Decision of the Council of Ministers of 2009 on the rules and procedures for the design and implementation of National Environmental Monitoring Program with indicators such as: annual production quantities; distribution of waste according to municipalities and regions; the percentage content of polluting components and the merceological composition of the waste.
According to this decision and strategy, the ministries responsible for agriculture, for infrastructure/transport, for health and for industry are obliged to complete the annual waste statistics reporting format and submit it to the National Environment Agency by February 10 of each year (Item 7.2 i Strategic Policy Document and National Integrated Waste Management Plan, 2020-2035).
Albanian Center for Quality Journalism addressed to the KTA with a request for information on the annual reports from these departments, but this institution did not make the reports available to us, nor was it informed, if there are any. The Regional Agency of the Environment, Tirana, Durrës, Dibër confirmed that it has not carried out any inspection related to solid waste in the territory of the Municipality of Durrës.
"After the closure of the Porto Romano landfill due to exceeding the capacity of this landfill, by decision of the Albanian government, all inert waste, generated by the reconstruction process after the earthquake of November 26, 2019, was decided to be collected and be deposited in the former urban waste collection site of Porto Romano to realize the encapsulation of this point". - was the only official answer from this institution.
The Agency, referring to Law No. 139/2015 "On Local Self-Government", was justified for the lack of these data, explaining that "the complete management of urban waste is the direct legal competence of the municipalities, which control this process through the tendering of the service of collection, transportation and final disposal of urban waste, through service contracts". On this argument, it was requested that "statistical information should be requested in the responsible, competent structures, Durrës Municipality and the State Inspectorate of Territory Protection, Durrës Regional Branch".
At the same time, with the definition of the general, comprehensive strategy of urban waste management, the Decision of the Council of Ministers also defines the tasks for the Ministry of Environment on the drafting and monitoring of the implementation of general policy documents of regional plans for waste management . Asked about the strategy for the Durrës area, until the date of publication of this article, this institution has not yet returned an exhaustive answer.
This problematic situation with urban waste management has been reaffirmed in international documentse on the monitoring of Albania's journey towards the European Union, with the European Union's reports for Albania, which highlight, among other things, alarming problems such as: the partial extent of coverage with the waste management service; lack of collection and insufficient disposal of waste; limited quantity that is deposited and handled in landfills-e; the presence of a large number of storage sites (permitted and unauthorized), which are outside sanitary and engineering standards; limited number and poor quality of waste collection and transportation equipment; lack of separation of waste at source and low rate of recycling; lack of infrastructure for integrated waste management; incomplete implementation of the law and in general of by-laws; as well as the weak interaction and coordination of the central government structures with the local government and other interested sectors.
Residents: Cancer is being slandered. Doctors: Pollution also causes cancer
The general practitioner, MS, says that the non-cleaning of urban waste causes many problems in the community, such as diseases: cancer, pulmonary, blood and skin diseases, therefore the relevant institutions must find a final solution. We contacted the Ministry of Health and DRSH Durra by telephone, but they refused to comment.
The toxicologist, Alban Haxhi, explained that pollution from garbage can bring serious consequences to human health, such as the aggravation of chronic pulmonary and neurological patients, the aggravation or occurrence of cancerous diseases in people with problems or genetic predisposition to cancer and the sick with liver problems or those with cardiac problems.
"The exposure of people to combustion dust makes it possible for them to be more vulnerable to the occurrence of cancerous diseases, because the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract are changed, which are functional cells to expel waste; these cells that turn into flat cells, which no longer expel these wastes through coughing or various secretions that the respiratory tract emits, but are forced to keep them, accumulate them there, becoming a risk factor for cancer of this tract. So, we have an increase in the cancer factor in the respiratory tract. The other has a lot to do with carbonic compounds, which are also intoxicating in human metabolism and can damage the nervous system and other organs, such as the liver, kidneys, etc. This injury has an endless range of diseases", the doctor explained.
Residents are irritated by this situation. "Cancer is slandering us", - said one of them, while another said: "It would be good if journalists came here every day, because that's the only way to move the municipality". All residents unanimously say that this situation must change, that there have been many years without a solution and that the municipality is playing with their lives. The municipality says that waste is currently deposited in landfills-in of Sarra, a procedure, which is reported by the media and previously as shady as corrupt, but this is not seen as a final solution.
Between the Adriatic Sea and the "toxic sea" in Porto Romano
In the new cross-sectoral urban waste management strategy for the years 2020-2035, it is also noted that near the city of Durrës, the area of Porto Romano remains one of the most polluted areas since the early 90s. The report estimates that the presence of a large amount of hazardous chemicals, deposited, such as hexachlorocyclohexane and chromium, pose a risk to the health of the population and the surrounding environment.
Over the years, foreign donations have made it possible to undertake cleaning campaigns in this area, donations such as that of the World Bank in 2004, which enabled the cleaning of an area of 78,000 m2, and the Dutch government's fund in 2010-2011, which enabled the cleaning of 3 hotspots, collecting in separate protections about 60,000 m2 contaminated soil.
However, despite various, partial interventions, the problems were also evident following the unveiling of a new waste management plan in the Durrës area, which reiterated the problems of using the Porto Romano area as a waste disposal site. urban waste of the city of Durrës and surrounding areas. This strategy pointed to the fact that the area was already highly polluted, endangering the environment and the health of both residents and landfill staff, who rarely use protective equipment.
Looking at the situation on the ground, this strategy suggested the closure of this urban waste disposal site within 2015 and the opening of a new plant with contemporary conditions and strategic measures for the protection of the environment and public health. However, such a step was never taken. MJuly 11, 2018, by decision of the Municipal Council was proposed to be built landfillsin the village of Manëz (Durrës), but the municipality did not have enough budget for the establishment of this plan. Later the final closure was decided Porto Romano landfill, but without finding a new solution for the disposal of urban waste, as well as the rehabilitation of this area into a park for residents through a project of 15 million euros, which in itself has raised doubts on his future.
The final solution to the coastal city's urban waste management after a problematic tourist season came suddenly, quietly and through an agreement reached without any public information.
How is waste treated in Tirana and Durrës by the same company?
On September 27 of this year, the Municipality of Durrës announced that the firm Integrated Energy BV SPV was declared the winner of the tender with the object "Urban waste disposal, Durrës Municipality", contract, which obliges the coastal city to deliver the waste to landfillsof Sharra, in Tirana. contracts, valid for a 48-month period, has a value of 1,126,035,200 (one billion one hundred twenty six million thirty five thousand two hundred) ALL without VAT.
According to the tender data, only this company participated in the procedure. The municipality announces that this was the most economically favorable offer based on the price, while there was no other offer. OpenData marked this tender with a red flag[1] for lack of competition and direct negotiation procedure.
company Integrated Energy BV SPV sh.pk, concessionaire/PPP, which was created specifically within the concession contract for raising landfillsand the incinerator of Tirana, the object of its activity is the construction, administration, operation and transfer of the latter, and the production of energy for the contracting authority (against further payment). Its parent company turns out to be GeoGenix BV to the extent of 100%. According to the data of marra through the portal OpenData Albania, GeoGenix BV (formerIntegrated Energy BV) is a company operating under the laws of the Netherlands, established on 19.08.2016 and registered on 29.04.2017, with number in the commercial register of Amsterdam 66671752, with address at Joop Geesinkweg 701, Amsterdam, with administrator Georgy Leonidovich Birman.
In the period 2018-2020, the company was also administered by Almares Management BV, branch of Residence Corporate Services BV. Dutch company, Integrated Energy BV., in June 2019, was denounced by a local newspaper as having won the tender to build the waste incinerator of the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, in violation of the legal procedures of public tendering, news which also echoed in the Albanian media. She immediately threatened to sue the media that published it NEWS with exorbitant amounts, amounting to 500 million dollars, a now known tactic for intimidating newsrooms.
Referring to the contract between the Municipality of Durrës and Integrated Energy, the company is expected to handle a total of 4 tons of waste over a 320.000-year period.
Total contract value 1,126,035,200 ALL
Total waste in tons 320.000
Value per ton 3,518.86 Lek without VAT - or 4,399.00 Lek with VAT
The accounts show that the cost per ton, according to the contract, will be around 36 euros, the same cost as that applied for the disposal of urban waste of the Municipality of Tirana. For 2020, the cost per ton in the US was an average of $53, which means that Albania has only 15 dollars cheaper per ton. The cost in Albania approximates the cost of depositing in landfills with European countries, such as Spain, Hungary, Latvia, etc. Our neighbors, such as Greece and other countries such as Bulgaria, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, have FEES lower, which raises doubts about the methodology used to estimate the cost applied by the company and accepted by the Albanian government and the local government in the cities of Tirana and Durrës.
ACQJ was addressed with an official request with Email through the company's spokesperson, landfillsSharre, where information was requested, if the urban waste of the city of Durrës and Shijak is deposited in landfills-in of Sarra; if there is an agreement with these municipalities and how long the contract is for. Until the moment of publication of the article, no answer has been received to the questions asked.
Experts, it must be built landfills in Durrës, the contract in Sharre, with a lot of costs
During the last years, the actions of the central and local government influenced the creation of a problematic situation for waste management in the coastal city, which marked the critical moment in the summer of this year.
The economic expert, Fatos Çoçoli, estimates that the contract with Integrated Energy it is not appropriate because it is costly and not sustainable. According to him, the sustainable and best solution for the city of Durrës is the construction of landfills-it.
"A plot of land chosen by the municipality, purchased by it, to be modified for processing the city's waste. Other additional costs, such as the proposed solution, which is an alternative, are related to transportation costs from Durrës to the Sharra landfill in Tirana; and everything else is a non-economic solution", he says. He considers that the offered solution is not the right one. "The first, initial plan, which is the most economically affordable for the municipality's finances, is the construction of the landfill. The landfill can cost 5 million euros, but you have yours and it will serve for 1 or 2 centuries. While a 20-year solution, proposed as an alternative, taking them to the Sharra landfill for processing, the first will be more expensive at the level of 60% or 70%, the second is not permanent". - he explains.
The need for local and central government to follow the principle of a sustainable development in access and management of waste is also raised by expert Selami Xhepa.
"The approach to waste management is fundamentally wrong and with high costs for the country, as well as against the principles of sustainable development. The very changes from one form of management to another, as in the case of Durrës, show at best the lack of a clear vision in management policies and, at worst, the corrupt practices that exist in this sector", he said.
With the end of the tourist season, it seems that the mountains of garbage on the side of the roads have decreased, due to the lack of tourists and daily visitors. However, the situation still remains alarming in a city with more than 200.000 inhabitants, which has yet to find a final solution for a basic need such as urban waste management, which justifies the cost. Currently, Durrës is paying for the disposal of urban waste more expensively than many European cities and it is still unclear how the municipality will meet the financial conditions of the newly concluded contract with the concession of landfillsof Tirana, as long as the lack of funds and opportunities has been the central justification for the failure to manage the situation during the city's most profitable period.
The tourists have already left. With the arrival of the winter season, the traffic of daily visitors from Tirana is getting rarer, but the traffic of the highway between the two cities has been increased by trucks, which transport garbage to the Sharra plant, increasing the environmental pollution along the length of this axis.
[1]A note with Red Flag is a fact, event, or group of circumstances, or other information, that may indicate a concern or exposure, as well as testify to a potential risk of legal compliance for illegal or unethical business conduct, especially in relation to with corrupt practices and non-compliance with anti-corruption laws. Evaluation for these categories is performed automatically, with predefined analytical filters. (OpenData Albania)
