The State Environmental Inspectorate Director Ana Petrovska along with US Embassy Political Officer Andrew Moffat and US Embassy Economic Advisor Rozita Mrenoski visited on April 20 the former OHIS chemical plant to mark Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22.
US Embassy officials were briefed on the work of the inspectorate is doing in identifying and monitoring the procedures for the transfer and disposal of hazardous chemicals, methyl acrylate monomer and vinyl chloride, and found out that the tanks in which they were stored were empty and safe, State Environmental Inspectorate said in a press release on Thursday.
They were informed about the upcoming start of the cleaning of lindane from the OHIS’s small landfill and the role of the Inspectorate in the implementation of the measures for protection of the environment and the health of the population in the City of Skopje within the remediation plan.
“Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year and theme of Earth Day 2021 is to ‘Restore Our Earth’. One of the topics that are being addressed globally is “Cleaning and much more,” the Environmental Inspectorate said.
Petrovska pointed out that the cleaning of the waste from the OHIS plant is realized gradually and depending on the available financial means. US Embassy officials said that all competent national institutions, banks and interested companies from the private sector are necessary to be involved in order to fully address the dangerous pollution.
“The US Embassy and the State Environmental Inspectorate have already had joint activities under the Science Fellows Program and will continue to do so in order to improve the effectiveness of inspections and reduce pollution,” the press release reads.
