Brussels, 13/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission expects Hungary to re-classify the alkaline red mud as a dangerous substance when it considers renewing the operating permit of the aluminium plant in Ajka that was at the origin of the major industrial disaster of 4 October 2010. Joe Hennon, spokesman for Environment Commissioner Janez Potoènik, said on Thursday 13 January that the Commission had sent the Hungarian authorities a letter asking for just such a re-classification.
Following a preliminary assessment of the information provided by Budapest to establish the exact cause of the disaster when a torrent of red sludge polluted ecosystems, the Commission concluded that the red mud had been incorrectly classified when the operating permit had been granted. The mud had then been classified as non-dangerous. The Commission takes the view that it should be classified as dangerous when the IPPC permit is reviewed, Hennon told press, alluding to the directive known as the IPPC directive, on integrated pollution prevention and control (Directive 96/61/EC amended by Directive 2008/1/EC).
Incorrect application of European legislation is suspected. The Commission is awaiting a reply to its letter which does not yet form part of an infringement procedure, Hennon stated.
The information supplied by the Hungarian authorities in response to the Commission questionnaire related mainly to the composition of the toxic mud which escaped from the containment pond holding toxic waste from the aluminium plan, to the operating permit that had been granted and to the way inspections had been conducted. (A.N./transl.rt)