It took a few press releases, some letters to the authorities, 3 interviews, an equal number of lawsuits with claims over € 3,000,000 and hundreds of publications to activate the local authorities and announce the study, to investigate the possible burden from heavy metals on Ermoupolis port. Even with this inappropriate way of “sponsorship” that seems to be established on our island, we can only welcome the acceptance of the fair requests of the Syros Environmental Quality Observatory by the two main authorities of the place, Municipality and Region, as expressed through the joint press conference of Mr. Livadara and Mr. Leontaritis.
The statements of both elected representatives of the authorities about the “justified concern of the citizens”, come to confirm what the Observatory supported from the beginning and is being prosecuted for this by the company that will eventually finance the study. The Observatory will support this effort, so that this study does not remain just a proclamation and will closely monitor the process in order to implement it with the appropriate scientific protocols, and of course, with transparency and control.
For all the rest that were mentioned in the specific press conference, especially by the Deputy Regional Governor, such as the admission that the South Aegean Region is not able to exercise a number of its responsibilities, that the local authorities resorted to this company because the Ministry did not take the initiative to fund the study but neither did they want to do so, and to repeat the slanders about the operation of our association, which were originally formulated by the company, we will return.
Now the realization of the study is paramount.
The Syros Environmental Quality Observatory was set up to stop “getting under the rug”, all the issues that concern the society of Syros related to environment and public health.
We are here, we are active.
Let’s move on!
The Board of Directors
