There are over 400 illegal landfills in Poland, where criminals have left life and health-threatening waste, TVN24 journalists Olga Orzechowska, Filip Folczak and Wojciech Bojanowski have determined. The waste includes the so-called red water, which is produced during the production of TNT. TNT in Poland is produced by one factory: Nitro-Chem from Bydgoszcz. Rafał Mendlik, acting president of the company, declared that – after receiving and confirming the information that the Mausers with waste are theirs – the company will remove these containers, although it did not leave them there.
There are over 400 illegal landfills in Poland, where criminals left life and health-threatening waste. The mechanism is repetitive: a plot or hall is rented for the pole, waste is transported there, and then – as prosecutor Konrad Rogowski informs – “it simply disappears”. The problem is faced by the owner of the plot or hall, who usually cannot afford to take away the waste and dispose of it.
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One of the authors of the report “Red waters” Wojciech Bojanowski said on Tuesday on TVN24 that he was “terrified by this image” that they had discovered. – Because this is what our Poland looks like. Our Poland is strewn with such illegal landfills – he noted.
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As TVN24 journalists Olga Orzechowska, Filip Folczak and Wojciech Bojanowski found out, the waste includes the so-called red water, which is produced during the production of TNT. Their presence has been unquestionably confirmed in at least five landfills.
In Chabielice – located 17 kilometers from the largest landfill – waste from the production of TNT was found just a few dozen meters from the house where the children live. Here, out of a hundred mauser containers examined, 13 contained this type of waste.
TNT in Poland is produced by one factory: Nitro-Chem from Bydgoszcz. TVN24 reporter Mariusz Sidorkiewicz talked to Rafał Mendlik, acting president of Nitro-Chem, about the discovered hazardous waste. – All the proceedings that are conducted in connection with these containers do not directly concern us. These proceedings are pending against entities with which we have cooperated – stressed Mendlik. He added that the company is a victim in this case.
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He added that the company “fully adheres to ethical and moral principles”. As he said, they are “aware of this situation that has arisen”. – We will participate in the investigation or disposal process. We are a fully responsible entity and we take full responsibility from production to disposal. We do not want to exclude our responsibility – announced Mendlik.
When asked when action should be expected from their company in this matter, he replied: – If we receive information and it is confirmed that these are our Mausers, we will immediately participate in such a process.
The TVN24 reporter pointed out to him that they could start now, as the prosecutor’s office and the TVN24 journalistic investigation confirmed that the Mausers contained waste from Nitro-Chem. – So I understand, we start this week? Sidorkiewicz asked him.
“Of course,” replied Mendlik.
Rafał Mendlik, president of Nitro-Chem, in an interview with a TVN24 reporterTVN24
Statement of Nitro-Chem
Earlier, on Tuesday evening, when the report was broadcast on TVN24, Nitro-Chem issued a statement.
It was written that “the allegations in the report regarding waste management are on the side of an external company and Nitro-Chem had no influence on their occurrence”. It was added that “the company is injured, and attempts to blame it with the consequences of an illegal practice are unjustified, as is blaming the plant for co-responsibility for the situation.”
“The company complies with the regulations governing the management of waste and hazardous substances. Nearly 99.9 percent of the waste generated during production is disposed of using installations operating on the premises of the plants. As soon as it becomes aware of the possibility of irregularities in waste management by external Nitro subcontractors “Chem has cooperated with law enforcement,” the statement reads.
“Suggesting that Nitro-Chem is co-responsible for the situation by indicating only this company in the TVN24 report may be perceived as an attempt to attack the company’s operations. This is all the more dangerous as international negotiations are currently underway within the ammunition coalition, and Nitro-Chem as one of the key manufacturers of munitions, plays an important role in them.
Main photo source: TVN24