The councillor stated that Yelanets is drowning in rubbish — the local community believes this is not a matter for the Mykolaiv Regional Council

Rubbish. Illustrative photo: ‘Vechirnii Kyiv’

In the village of Vozsiatske in the Yelanets community, as well as in Yelanets itself, there is a problem with the organisation of rubbish collection, resulting in the area being littered. The community leadership has been given until 20 April to resolve this issue and discuss it at a meeting with the ecology department. Afterwards, deputies of the Mykolaiv Regional Council plan to visit the community.

This was discussed at a meeting of the Mykolaiv Regional Council’s Committee on Ecology, Environmental Protection, Rational Use of Natural Resources, Tourism and Recreation, NikVesti reports.

Councillor Tetiana Demchenko noted that two years ago, the regional council’s environmental committee visited the village of Vozsiatske in the Yelanets district and inspected all the rubbish dumps within the village. According to the councillor, the rubbish problem remains unresolved.

«Unfortunately, the number of rubbish dumps has not decreased since that meeting; in fact, there are now even more of them. The issue regarding an authorised landfill site and the organisation of rubbish collection remains unresolved, although everyone is really hoping that at least once a week some form of transport will come round to which rubbish can be disposed of,» said Tetiana Demchenko.

She also noted that there has been no response yet from the leadership of the Yelanets community.

Meeting of the Committee on Environmental Issues. Screenshot from the broadcast

In response to the councillor’s statement, Oleksandr Seliutin, First Deputy Chair of the Yelanets Town Council, said that the amount of rubbish had neither increased nor decreased. In reply, Commission Chair Alla Ryazhskikh noted that representatives of the environmental inspectorate had been in the community during the regional council’s field meeting and could have issued fines, but wanted to help, so they gave time to resolve the issue.

«The committee worked with the settlement council, issued reports, and the fines have been paid,» replied Oleksandr Seliutin.
«Has it become cleaner?» asked Alla Riazhskykh.
«We are carrying out the necessary work to establish authorised landfill sites,» said Oleksandr Seliutin.

Alla Riazhskykh suggested that the head of the environmental inspectorate should visit the community on the next trip, given the management’s attitude towards the problem. She noted that following the on-site meeting, Yelanets was given time to provide information to the regional council, yet no one had even phoned. To this, Oleksandr Seliutin replied that he did not decide on all matters.

«I will now issue a recommendation to the specialised regional prosecutor’s office, and a prosecutor will come to you to take appropriate action. Do you need to clean up the mess? It’s Easter week; it doesn’t seem right to be drowning in rubbish,» remarked Alla Riazhskykh.
«I wouldn’t say we’re drowning in rubbish... We’re taking care of it. I don’t think this issue needs to be brought before the regional council,» replied the deputy chair of the Yelanets Town Council.

Councillor Tetiana Demchenko also noted that there is a rubbish problem in Yelanets itself.

«On all sides, Yelanets is drowning in the same rubbish dumps as Vozsiatske. I see no sign of anyone taking charge anywhere. Vozsiatske is situated at the junction of two roads. The whole of Ukraine can see all these rubbish dumps. But Yelanets is the centre of our settlement council. There is rubbish on all sides,» stated the councillor.

Finally, the councillors also discussed the issue of clearing the bed of the Hromoklia River in the community and repairing the bridge, and provided general recommendations to the commission. The issues of rubbish collection, abandoned wells and the inventory of hydraulic structures in the community are to be discussed by 20 April with the Ecology Department of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. The councillors then plan to visit the Yelanets community again.