Budapest Joins Lawsuit Against State Over Óbuda Gas Factory Cleanup
The city of Budapest is intervening in a legal case demanding the decontamination of a site with significant hazardous waste.
The city of Budapest has announced its decision to join ongoing legal proceedings against the Hungarian state regarding the environmental cleanup of the Óbuda Gas Factory site.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony made the announcement via his Facebook page, urging the government to take responsibility for the decontamination of the area, which is estimated to contain approximately 200,000 tons of toxic, carcinogenic pollutants.
The mayor emphasized that for nearly a decade, it has been evident that the state-owned MVM, the company responsible for the site, must initiate cleanup efforts.
Environmental organizations have repeatedly called for action, yet, according to Karácsony, the Prime Minister has only dismissed the issue as a rumor.
He criticized MVM for continuously postponing the deadlines for decontamination, the most recent of which was announced just before Christmas.
The lawsuit was originally initiated by Graphisoft Park, a company operating on the gas factory grounds, which accused the state of failing to fulfill its obligations concerning environmental remediation.
The city of Budapest is joining this lawsuit as a property owner or co-owner of the land in question.
Karácsony stated that, based on current knowledge, the pollution levels at the Óbuda Gas Factory site are significantly higher than those at Rákosrendező, another heavily affected area.
He asserted that if the cleanup were to proceed at both locations, it could pave the way for important developments beneficial to Budapest.
The mayor acknowledged that cleaning one of the city’s most polluted areas would involve considerable costs but argued that funds should have been available for such initiatives over the past ten years.
He concluded by asserting that when the state fails to act voluntarily or heed warnings and proposals, legal action becomes a necessary recourse to ensure that the long-overdue environmental responsibilities towards Óbuda and Budapest are fulfilled.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony made the announcement via his Facebook page, urging the government to take responsibility for the decontamination of the area, which is estimated to contain approximately 200,000 tons of toxic, carcinogenic pollutants.
The mayor emphasized that for nearly a decade, it has been evident that the state-owned MVM, the company responsible for the site, must initiate cleanup efforts.
Environmental organizations have repeatedly called for action, yet, according to Karácsony, the Prime Minister has only dismissed the issue as a rumor.
He criticized MVM for continuously postponing the deadlines for decontamination, the most recent of which was announced just before Christmas.
The lawsuit was originally initiated by Graphisoft Park, a company operating on the gas factory grounds, which accused the state of failing to fulfill its obligations concerning environmental remediation.
The city of Budapest is joining this lawsuit as a property owner or co-owner of the land in question.
Karácsony stated that, based on current knowledge, the pollution levels at the Óbuda Gas Factory site are significantly higher than those at Rákosrendező, another heavily affected area.
He asserted that if the cleanup were to proceed at both locations, it could pave the way for important developments beneficial to Budapest.
The mayor acknowledged that cleaning one of the city’s most polluted areas would involve considerable costs but argued that funds should have been available for such initiatives over the past ten years.
He concluded by asserting that when the state fails to act voluntarily or heed warnings and proposals, legal action becomes a necessary recourse to ensure that the long-overdue environmental responsibilities towards Óbuda and Budapest are fulfilled.
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