The landfill in the village of Vanchykivtsi in Chernivtsi region has already "extended" beyond its official boundaries by several kilometers, almost reaching the Romanian border. However, instead of seeking effective waste management solutions, the local authorities are taking radical and illegal actions-deliberately setting the waste on fire. The environmental inspection is convinced of this and has already fined the Vanchykivtsi village council for such actions.
This was reported by the media outlet "Suspilne".
Accidental Revelation
Back in July, environmental inspectors recorded that household waste within the village council’s territory was being dumped in unauthorized locations. At that time, an administrative report was drawn up regarding violations of waste management regulations. The penalties under this article amount to only up to 1,800 UAH.
However, at the beginning of August, specialists from the State Environmental Inspectorate (SEI) noticed heavy smoke coming from the direction of the Romanian border. It turned out that waste was burning-a large fire had engulfed the landfill. That was when environmental inspectors found evidence that waste burning in the community was far from a first-time occurrence.
“When I arrived at the site, I saw that there was a very large fire on the household waste. We had to call the State Emergency Service, and then they issued a report for deliberate arson, since it was clear the garbage had been set on fire from several different sides. I saw that this waste has been burned there for years,” said Oleg Istratey, the chief inspector of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Carpathian District, in comments to journalists.
The official emphasized that, based on the report from the State Emergency Service, the environmental inspection will prepare its own protocol.
However, journalists have not yet received an answer as to whether emergency services were called for the fire on August 5 or whether the Vanchykivtsi authorities were fined in any way.
Blatant Violation of All Possible Standards
The State Environmental Inspectorate is convinced that the local authorities are deliberately setting fires to avoid proper waste management activities and to shirk responsibility for the area overtaken by the landfill.
“Instead of the village council maintaining this landfill, they set it on fire so that no machinery comes, the waste isn’t moved, and proper maintenance isn’t carried out. All of this is handled by the Vanchykivtsi community. There is no fire safety in place at all. The head of the Vanchykivtsi village council, Volodymyr Lupoy, is violating all norms,” Istratey emphasized.
The Village Council Washes Its Hands
Journalists from "Suspilne" managed to get a comment from village head Volodymyr Lupoy. However, he did not answer uncomfortable questions and instead blamed “some local residents” for the arson. According to him, the village council did not deliberately commit these acts.
However, when directly asked why the landfill had grown so extensively and how the authorities intend to resolve the situation, the village head became “uncomfortable talking” and the media received no response.
According to a representative of the State Environmental Inspectorate, the situation in Vanchykivtsi is not unique. In reality, communities in many localities often choose to burn waste rather than properly remove and dispose of it.
EcoPolitic previously reported that in Ukraine, a “waste reform” has been implemented on paper. It requires an overhaul of the waste management model with independent administration. However, in practice, its requirements have only been fulfilled in the city of Cherkasy.
Additionally, fines for violations in the field of waste management may increase significantly in the country. At the government level, two corresponding draft laws from the Ministry of Economy have already been approved. Fines could rise to 51,000 UAH, and for particularly serious violations, offenders could face imprisonment for up to 10 years.
