Authorities are investigating the extent of the illegal dumping of wastewater collected from industrial and other facilities along the Kifisos River, following the three arrests made yesterday morning in the act in Aigaleo. As part of the investigation, data is expected to be cross-checked on the volume of waste collected by the company’s tankers from the facilities with which it had contracts against the amounts ultimately delivered to the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Metamorfosi.

Already facing justice are the driver and the owner of the tanker that was found emptying its contents into a fuel station drain on the service road of Kifisos Avenue, as well as the person responsible for operating the gas station, at the time of the environmental crime.

Watch the video showing the moment the tanker is at the biscuit factory:

The Security Police, acting on information they had received, placed two tanker trucks that were parking at the premises of the fuel station in question under surveillance. It was found that they were collecting waste from factories, including Papadopoulou biscuit manufacturer, as well as Attikon Hospital, with which they had signed relevant contracts.

Yesterday, shortly after 6 a.m., one of the tankers collected waste from Papadopoulou’s facilities which, as it turned out, was “highly acidic” and untreated. Instead of undergoing the required treatment and the load being disposed of as required by law for hazardous waste, the driver went to the gas station and connected a hose to the drain, supposedly as if he were delivering fuel. In reality, however, he was emptying his contaminated load into the drain and, as was subsequently established by an EYDAP crew, it was ending up through illegal connections in the stormwater drains, in the Kifisos River, and ultimately in the sea.

The police intervened precisely when the emptying process had begun, while Environmental Inspectors established, by analyzing samples taken at the scene, that they had a pH of 4.8, indicating high acidity. The final results of the laboratory tests are still awaited, but the initial findings point to untreated industrial liquid waste.

The particular load is not described as toxic; however, in order to legally enter the EYDAP system, it should first have undergone the appropriate treatment and neutralization so that it would fall within the accepted limits.

According to information from the investigation, EYDAP accepts industrial waste under certain conditions, when it has been treated by the industry that produces it and is accompanied by the required analysis certificates. After being collected, it is transported through the network to the treatment facilities at Psyttaleia.

According to information available so far, the authorities are believed to have been monitoring the activity since the summer months, with surveillance intensifying again in September. The load discovered yesterday is estimated at approximately 16 cubic meters and came from the production facility of Papadopoulou, on Iera Odos. It should be noted that, in a statement, the company says it bears no responsibility for waste management, as this falls exclusively under the responsibility of the company transporting the wastewater, which collected the waste from the factory using its tankers.

“The vehicle in question does not belong to the Company’s privately owned fleet. It belongs to a third-party company, which has been contractually engaged to collect and transport wastewater from the E.I. Papadopoulou S.A. factory in Tavros, Attica, to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (KEL) in Metamorfosi. As part of the project it has undertaken, the said company is obliged to comply with all applicable environmental and regulatory requirements. E.I. Papadopoulou S.A. is treating the incident with the appropriate seriousness and is taking all necessary steps for its full and immediate investigation, while reserving the right to exercise all its legal rights,” the statement said.

Under current national and European legislation, industrial waste is subject to special management and must first undergo a “neutralization” process before subsequently being collected by EYDAP and transported to its facilities at Psyttaleia. The tanker in question has been transferred since yesterday to EYDAP facilities, where the prescribed waste management procedure will be followed.

The case, however, highlights a broader issue in the area along the Kifisos River, where there are numerous parking areas for heavy vehicles and tankers, with drains connected to the stormwater system. Reports allege that some of these sites are used for illegal dumping, particularly after rainfall, when the increased flow of the Kifisos is believed to be capable of washing away traces of pollution more quickly. A similar situation is described in Eastern Attica, where, due to the lack of a sewage network, there are countless reports of illegal connections from sewage systems to the stormwater network.