Energia - Środowisko
Dodatek promocyjno-reklamowy do "RZECZPOSPOLITEJ".
15 listopada 2005 r.

Modern waste treatment and neutralization plant in central Poland

Statement by Daniel Tylak, Vice-chairman of the Board, Municipal Association "Clean Town, Clean Municipality"

In 1997 the town of Kalisz initiated the establishemnt of Municipal Association "Clean Town, Clean Municipality" ("Czyste Misato, Czysta Gmina") which would take over the initiative to create a municipal waste management system for Kalisz and its neighboring municipalities. The association came into being in 1998 and began its operation for the interest of 15 towns and municipalities in wielkopolskie voivodeship (Kalisz, Turek, Dobra, Tuliszków, Blizanów, Brzeziny, Ceków Kolonia, Godziesze Wielkie, Gołuchów, Kawęczyn, Koźminek, Lisków, Malanów, Mycielin, Opatówek) and 4 towns and municipalities in łódzkie voivodeship (Sieradz, Warta, Goszczanów, Wróblew).

The association operates in the area of 2 thousand square kilometers inhabited by over 300 thousand people. By the year 2000 it purchased 20 hectares of land in Ceków Kolonia municipality and set out to construct "Orli Staw" Waste Treatment and Neutralization Plant.

The capacity of the waste treatment and neutralization plant of approx. 1000 thousand tones per year will be achieved thanks to waste reception and sorting hall, intensive composting hall as well as bulky waste dismantling and building waste processing units. The association successfully applied for financial assistance from the European Commission from the ISPA pre-accession fund (today's Cohesion Fund). The investment, worth 20 million euros, is co-financed in 69% of its qualified costs - that is 11 626 5000 euros - by the European Commission fund. Without help from the European Union it would not be possible. The project is now being implemented; the deadline for putting the plant into operation is set for the 4th quarter of 2006 and it will be met. Thanks to the investment a cohesive waste management system in the area of the association's operation will be created and 12 communal waste sites in partner municipalities will be successively closed down and rehabilitated.

This will lead to the development of a modern municipal waste management system in central Poland, which will meet the requirements of EU's directives and will fulfill ecological obligations imposed by the state.

According to the Waste Management Plan for wielkopolskie and łódzkie voivodeships, a modern waste treatment and neutralization plant will be built in Prażuchy Nowe. It will be co-utilized by other municipalities of the region which are not members of the association but which are not able to individually manage municipal waste in a way that meets environmental protection requirements.

The project, which is co-financed by the EU, will reduce of economic and social disparities in the European Union. n