Budapest Mayor Criticizes Government Over Delayed Remediation of Óbuda Gasworks
Gergely Karácsony accuses the Hungarian government of neglecting environmental hazards posed by the site for a decade.
Gergely Karácsony, the Mayor of Budapest, has publicly criticized the Hungarian government for its failure to address the remediation of the Óbuda Gasworks site, which he claims has been delayed for ten years.
In a statement shared on social media, Karácsony accused the state of poisoning the city and behaving irresponsibly as a custodian of the environment.
The Óbuda Gasworks site is reportedly contaminated with hazardous materials, including carcinogens, which pose a threat to Budapest's water supply.
Karácsony emphasized the urgency of the remediation efforts, highlighting that the government's inaction has endangered the health and safety of residents.
According to Karácsony, the government has continually postponed deadlines and failed to initiate any meaningful progress toward remediation, despite numerous parliamentary inquiries and proposed legal amendments over the years.
He noted that the state-owned energy company, MVM, has not made significant headway in cleaning the site within the past decade.
In his remarks, Karácsony pointed to a stark contrast between the ongoing discussions around another controversial site, Rákosrendező, and the government's neglect of the more polluted Óbuda Gasworks area.
He asserted that while the government frequently engages in dialogues regarding urban responsibilities, it has not fulfilled its obligations for environmental remediation in this case.
Karácsony indicated that the costs associated with cleaning the Óbuda Gasworks site are considerable.
However, he claimed that the government has allocated vast sums—amounting to billions of forints—on various projects over the past ten years, implying that available resources should have extended to address this pressing environmental concern.
The Mayor’s comments come in the lead-up to the next session of the Budapest General Assembly, where he has expressed intentions to address the situation surrounding both the Óbuda Gasworks and Rákosrendező.
The criticisms from Karácsony reflect ongoing tensions between local governance in Budapest and national policies, particularly regarding environmental management and public health.
In a statement shared on social media, Karácsony accused the state of poisoning the city and behaving irresponsibly as a custodian of the environment.
The Óbuda Gasworks site is reportedly contaminated with hazardous materials, including carcinogens, which pose a threat to Budapest's water supply.
Karácsony emphasized the urgency of the remediation efforts, highlighting that the government's inaction has endangered the health and safety of residents.
According to Karácsony, the government has continually postponed deadlines and failed to initiate any meaningful progress toward remediation, despite numerous parliamentary inquiries and proposed legal amendments over the years.
He noted that the state-owned energy company, MVM, has not made significant headway in cleaning the site within the past decade.
In his remarks, Karácsony pointed to a stark contrast between the ongoing discussions around another controversial site, Rákosrendező, and the government's neglect of the more polluted Óbuda Gasworks area.
He asserted that while the government frequently engages in dialogues regarding urban responsibilities, it has not fulfilled its obligations for environmental remediation in this case.
Karácsony indicated that the costs associated with cleaning the Óbuda Gasworks site are considerable.
However, he claimed that the government has allocated vast sums—amounting to billions of forints—on various projects over the past ten years, implying that available resources should have extended to address this pressing environmental concern.
The Mayor’s comments come in the lead-up to the next session of the Budapest General Assembly, where he has expressed intentions to address the situation surrounding both the Óbuda Gasworks and Rákosrendező.
The criticisms from Karácsony reflect ongoing tensions between local governance in Budapest and national policies, particularly regarding environmental management and public health.
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