HATAY - Hatay Ecology Platform member Fernur Bahçeci said that asbestos regulation was suspended in the city, and rubble was poured into 22 sites, 18 of which are official, where agricultural lands, habitats and endemic creatures live.

 

In Hatay, the debris that trucks carry by creating an open dust cloud continues to spill over into areas such as living areas, agricultural areas and Miheyla Bird Area. The debris spilled on the lands in the districts of İskenderun, Belen, Samandağ, Defne, Antakya and Yayladağı are carried out by suspending the Asbestos Regulation on the grounds of the declared State of Emergency (OHAL). For this, the struggle of citizens, ecologists and asbestos experts in the city continues with public meetings and awareness raising activities.

 

'HATAY HAS 22 RUBBLE SITES'

 

Stating that there were 4 rubble sites after the earthquake and they were close to their living areas, Bahçeci said: "There are currently 22 dump sites, 18 of which are official and 4 of which are illegal, across Hatay. The Miheyla Casting site is in an active state. The casting there threatens the life of endemic creatures. At the moment, the works are stopped there, but decomposition processes are continuing. This is not limited to asbestos. It has lead, it has arsenic, it has structural toxins. Pharmacies are destroyed. The medical wastes there and the waste from the places where pesticides are sold all mix with the soil and groundwater. These toxins also pass on to the vegetables produced in agriculture. We who are exposed to these will be experiencing the effects of them when we consume them."