Ecology and Animal Rights Committee of the Independence Path has responded to the renewal permit which will be given to the stone quarry in Akcicek (Σύσκληπος) village, in their statement, issued to support the people of Ayermola (Άγιος Ερμόλαος) village that live in the neighbourhood and are greatly affected by the quarry activities. The Committee touched upon the destruction that quarries are causing to the habitats of many living creatures, to human health, and to nature.
Ecology and Animal Rights Committee of the Independence Path emphasised in their statement, the various problems that the renewal permit for a stone quarry in Akcicek village will be causing. They mentioned that the stone quarry in question will be affecting the natural living spaces of several living creatures as well as the Pentadaktylos aquifer – which is an important drinking water resource– negatively. In addition, the damage to human health, to nature and to the transportation that will be caused by the explosions at the stone quarry is also explained in their statement. The committee made a call to reduce the amount of quarrying in the aforementioned area and eventually to stop these activities all over the mountains, by activating the stone quarries on the island only as much as needed.
The statement released by the committee is as below:
What we are facing with the renewal permit that will be given to the stone quarry in Akcicek village is another ordinary situation of natural resources being offered to the capital owners. The quarrying in the aforementioned area has been receiving reactions for some time now, mainly because of the caused dust, noise, and the unattractive outlook.
It can be seen in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report drafted; that even though the permission to build a quarry to the aforementioned area was given in 1992, most of the area is an untouched old-growth. This particular land is hosting a lot of plants and animals and is beneficial for the ecological cycle. Because the living creatures’ nests and their feeding ground within the area will be further destroyed by the increasing quarry activity -as the company is planning to extend its working area- they will be looking for solutions by approaching the residential zone.
In addition to these, the quarry is located extremely close to the water-bearing point at the Pentadaktylos Mountains. This aquifer is the second biggest water-bearing resource, after the one located in Morphou, within the drinking water standards of Cyprus. The ongoing explosions at the quarry have the potential to affect the fissured structure of the aquifer.
Future explosions and dust that will be caused by the loading and the carriage, will be affecting the flora and fauna present within the close proximity of the quarry and on the route of the carriage. In turn, it will have an impact on people’s health. The high tonnage heavy-vehicles will be used during the carriage and they will damage the roads, as they are already doing so, which in turn affects the transportation and adds a stress on to the daily lives of the people living in the area. On the other hand, poisonous gases that appear by the explosives can persist in the soil and pollute it. The houses can also be damaged by the quake caused by the explosions.
In this framework, where human beings are part of nature, the amount of quarrying in the aforementioned area needs to be reduced and eventually stopped, while quarrying on the island needs to be activated only as much as needed. From what we have learned from the Environmental Impact Assessment Report drafted, the quarried materials will also be exported. This shows us that there will be more production than what is actually needed. Therefore, while determining the requirements on the island it is essential that we understand the importance of ecologically focused planning.
We would like to pronounce our solidarity with the locals in Ayermola.
Ecology and Human Rights Committee
Independence Path
(Δρόμος Ανεξαρτησίας)
Original News Report in Turkish: http://www.ankaradegillefkosa.org/bagimsizlik-yolu-ekoloji-ve-hayvan-haklari-komitesi-daglarimizi-yok-eden-sermayeye-karsi-sirinevler-halkinin-yanindayiz/
