Government and Industry-oriented technical symposium: “Sustainable Development and Management of Hydrocarbons in the Vasilikos area, Cyprus”

• Exposogas Project
• September 17, 2021

We organized today an online technical symposium on “Sustainable Development and Management of Hydrocarbons in the area of ​​Vasilikos in Cyprus” in which invited were all the relevant stakeholders of hydrocarbon management in Cyprus.

The symposium dealt with the activities of the EXPOSOGAS project by i) identifying the stakeholders involved in hydrocarbon activities in Cyprus, ii) assessing their perceptions regarding the risks to the environment and public health related to hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon activities iii) promoting the project results to the competent bodies for their utilization regarding the use of hydrocarbons in daily life and the potential health risks.

Six large hydrocarbon stakeholder groups were mapped in Cyprus: local authorities, small and medium-sized industries (including multinationals), small and medium-sized enterprises, universities / professional associations, government and the general public living in the 9 communities adjacent to the Vasilikos Energy Center (VEC): Asgata, Pentakomo, Zygi, Mari, Kalavasos, Tochni, Maroni, Choirokitia, Psematismenos.

The symposium was greeted by the Director of the Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. C. Hadjipanagiotou, who referred to the VEC spatial development plan of and the relevant environmental impact study. He also mentioned the recent initiative by the Ministry of Energy for the establishment of a Coordinating Committee for the area of ​​Vasilikos which will deal with issues of safety, environment and health for the wider area of ​​Vasilikos.

The community leader of Kalavasos and Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the 9 communities of Vasilikos, Mr. Lefteris Fokas welcomed the event and said that his primary concern is the safety and health of the residents of the area. He expressed his concern that many suggestions and requests of the communities are not heeded.

Dr. Konstantinos Makris, Associate Professor of Environmental Health at the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health summarized the results of the two-year consultation with all stakeholders which included interviews (n = 32), survey for the public (n=9) technical meetings and workshops (n = 3). Specifically, he presented the perceived environmental and health risks for the wider VEC area and how to avoid them, the needs that arise for the sustainable development and management of hydrocarbons in the area, but also the perceptions of residents from the 9 communities around VEC.

From the consultations with the competent bodies, it was shown that there is a need to create an environment and health observatory for the wider area of ​​Vasilikos and Limassol, where a series of indicators of population health and environmental pollutants will be monitored periodically in time and space. Also, the need for stricter government policies for monitoring hydrocarbon activities and communicating risks with all stakeholders before the licensing of a new industrial facility at EKB became apparent.

It was stressed that there will only be benefits for the site through informing the public and exchanging views among health experts related to hydrocarbon activities (eg service stations, industrial activities, asphalt, etc.).

ΤΕΠΑΚ: Επιστημονικό Συμπόσιο EXPOSOGAS για… | IN Business News | Υπηρεσίες (reporter.com.cy)