STRUGGLE AGAINST INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

 (Cyprus Mines Corporation Debris in Lefke Region)

Betül ATASAYAN

LÇTDYönetim Kurulu Üyesi

                    Perhaps the greatest threat to the environment and global ecosystem is the increasing and alarming amounts of hazardous wastes, which are release into the air, land and water. Hazardous substances include any substance that poses a threat to human health or to the environment. Therefore, as countries liberalize their economies to allow global companies to bring in capital and technology, they should be aware of the record of companies in the production and disposal of hazardous wastes. Turkish Cypriot People is one of the living witnesses of the destruction of the environment by the industrial hazardous wastes. Because the mining activities of the past have certainly caused a serious degradation in the local environment.

                        Before the mining industry, Lefke region was one of the rare location in Cyprus to be a generous host for both agricultural and heavy industrial activities for long years. It was the region where best quality citrus was grown and where agriculture or rural industries attracting population from the other regions of the island. But the mining industry changed the economic, physical and cultural development of the region. The economic activity reached to its highest level, towards the middle of the century, by the steadily growing mining and smelting activities of a foreign firm called as “Cyprus Mines Corporation”.

                        As an American company, Cyprus Mines Corporation, CMC, established according to the codes of the New York State. The company, formally started its operation in 1916 with the permission of the British Government, which was ruling Cyprus at that time. After this year, the development process in Lefke region have started parallel with the growth of the CMC facilities. During those days Lefke had become an important central town for economic and social activities in the Northeastern part of the island. Increasing economic activity in the region, attracted population from various parts of the island, increased social activity and hence resulted in a high growth rate of regional income. Furthermore, CMC have built elementary schools and a hospital in order to serve for educational and health problems of the local population. It is clear that mining industry contributes the economic and social development of the region, in the short-run. But, in the long-run the facility created environmental degradation which destroys the basis of existence for future generations.

                        The facility was operated by Cyprus Mines Corporation until 1974. Since then, because of the million tons of mining waste concentrated around the abandoned mines, the facility created thread for the whole Lefke Area. The existence of the hazardous wastes are imposing serious constraints on possible investment alternatives on scarce land resources of Lefke as well as of the whole country. Inactive mining industry, besides causing degradation of the region, is creating a serious problems for the whole ecosystem of the country and the Mediterranean Sea as well. This potential contamination source, is a serious direct threat for the drinking water, crop chain, and human health within the Lefke Area and an indirect threat for the whole country. The dumps in addition to being a thread to the ground and surface water, are environmentally antiaesthetic. The open pits themselves cause also problems. In certain of the mines, where the pits are shallow, during heavy rainfall there is flooding with the acid water of the pit overflowing and polluting the sea and water systems nearby. Unfortunately, no filtration system is applied to the water sources, which are used for both irrigation as well as drinking water.

                        The removal of the dumps and their placement in the pit would provide an ideal solution for the remediation of the environment and would lead  to a semi-natural state. However, this is a very expensive solution and in the absence of any regulation forcing the responsible party, Cyprus Mines Corporation, to take such measures, it is very unlikely that such a solution would be attempted without any economic benefit. Environmental Society of Lefke is trying its utmost to persuade the American-owned Cyprus Mines Corporation to clear up the pollution. By challenging this environmental degradation we believe that we are in effect joining hands with a global network of CBO`s and NGO`s as part of the worldwide movement toward sustainable human settlements development in the urbanizing world.

                        As the Environmental Society of Lefke we believe that unless a decision is taken to stop this pollution, there is no need to talk about the environmental benefits of the Lefke Area. The degradation of the area, resulting in depopulation and decreased social and economic activities, will continue and future generations will not find the chance of living in or visiting this area at all.