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DE RUEHTH #1168/01 2271353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141353Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2346
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ATHENS 001168 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
State also for OES/ENV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR SOCI TBIO EIND GR
 
SUBJECT:  CONTROVERSY OVER PROGRESS MADE TO CLEAN UP ASOPOS RIVER 
POLLUTION 
 
REF: 07 ATHENS 2015 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In September 2007, Post received over four 
thousand emails in a 24-hour period from concerned American citizens 
in reference to the presence of hexavalent chromium in the Asopos 
River near Athens.  The emails were in response to a posting by Erin 
Brockovich on her website.  Brockovich was mobilized by a cry for 
help from the Mayor of a local town that is dependent on the Greek 
river for its drinking water.  The Ministry of Environment, Town 
Planning and Public Works responded to the public outcry and 
a flurry of media reports by implementing measures to clean up 
the river and regulate and punish the polluting industries. 
One year later, there are mixed reactions to the Greek 
government's policies and actions by the public, NGOs, and local 
officials.  End Summary. 
 
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Initial Response to Asopos River Outcry in 2007 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Asopos River lies approximately 40 kilometers north of 
Athens, and for roughly thirty years, it has served as a site for 
both drinking water and industrial waste disposal.  For years, 
individuals from the region crusaded with local authorities for the 
GoG to stop more than 2,500 companies from dumping industrial waste 
into the Asopos River.  Studies have shown that the number of deaths 
from cancer in the region increased to 32 percent in 2007 from 6 
percent in 1989.  In August 2007, the mayor of Oinofyta reached out 
to Erin Brockovich to help raise the public's awareness of the fact 
that 400,000 times the permissible amount of hexavalent chromium was 
present in the Asopos River as a result of industrial waste dumping. 
(Comment: Hexavalent chromium is an anticorrosive used in stainless 
steel, paint, ink and plastics.  It is on the list of EU restricted 
substances and considered a carcinogen by the World Health 
Organization.  It is the same substance highlighted in the film 
"Erin Brockovich." End Comment.) Brockovich responded by posting 
demands for clean-up on her website, and on that of Friends of the 
Earth, attracting the attention of thousands.  The surge of 
international and media attention which followed prompted the GoG to 
begin taking immediate steps to investigate the existence of 
dangerous chemicals in the drinking water. 
 
¶3. (U) In the fall, Secretary General Evangelos Baltas, of the 
Ministry of Environment, stated that as of September 27, 2007, 
intensive work to clean the area had commenced, and the government 
was taking steps to stop further dumping and punish those who had 
broken the law (reftel).  According to Baltas, at least seven 
Ministry inspectors would remain on location, day and night, until 
the investigation was completed.  Shortly thereafter, Environment, 
Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias announced 
the following measures to deal with the industrial pollution: the 
construction of a central pipeline equipped with a special system 
for checking waste toxicity, the sealing off of illegal pipelines, 
daily waste monitoring by environment ministry services, tougher 
laws for dumping accompanied by fines, harsher punishments for 
non-compliance, and air pollution monitoring stations.  In the short 
term, the areas that depended on the contaminated Asopos for 
drinking water were connected instead to the Athen's water supply. 
A plan was established to construct a new pipeline for the town of 
Oinofyta to eventually obtain water from the Mornos Reservoir, which 
provides water to the Athens metropolitan and is one of the largest 
earthen dams in Europe.  Souflias' efforts were critical, as he 
stressed that despite the fact that jurisdiction of the Asopos River 
fell under the realm of local authorities, including prefectures and 
municipalities, the discovery of hexavalent chromium made the issue 
a concern and responsibility of national importance. 
 
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Mixed Reactions to Ministry Response 
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¶4. (U) On December 11, 2007, Brockovich reported on her website that 
no positive developments on the Asopos River occurred, despite the 
promises and seeming enthusiasm of the government. 
(http://www.uslaw.com/library/Personal_Injury _Law/ 
Bad_News_Oinofyta.php?item=25395).  In March 2008, Greek media 
reported that industrial dumping continued to contaminate water, 
and that hexavalent chromium was still present in the water. 
Furthermore,the Greek media noted that citizens in Oinofyta were 
not connected to local water mains.  While local activists at 
the time complained that the government had done nothing, 
the Mayor of Oinofyta described a brighter picture, highlighting 
construction of a water purification plant, drinking water 
coming from the nearby Mornos dam and decreased levels of 
hexavalent chromium.  Local press indicated that forty to fifty 
industries were fined, but that the fines were too small to 
discourage future dumping as they represent only2.39 
 
ATHENS 00001168  002 OF 003 
 
 
percent of annual profits. 
 
¶5. (U) While the issue has drawn little attention in recent months, 
a prominent Greek newspaper returned attention to the water 
pollution.  In a story on July 31, the paper asserted that the GoG 
had made little to no progress on cleaning the Asopos River in the 
nine months following its declaration of measures to fight 
pollution.  In the article, the mayor of Oropo, which is farther 
from the Asopos river than Oinofyta, claimed that industries were 
polluting even more following the government's announcement of 
measures,and that the presence of hexavalent chromium in the river 
had increased by three times. He noted that levels of hexavalent 
chromium increased in Oinofyta as well.  The article highlighted and 
confronted every GoG measure on the issue, giving it bad marks on 
all counts. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Secretary General of the Environment Baltas immediately 
published a response to this article, refuting all charges. In 
addition, his office contacted Post to draw our attention to the 
response.  The GoG indicated that the Prefecture maintains primary 
responsibility for the issue, but that the GoG remained committed to 
assisting, given the importance of the issue.  Baltas stated that 
extensive studies have and continue to be done, and that progress 
has been made.  Industries were fined roughly $4.18 million and 
clean-up measures have taken place.  In contrast to the article, the 
GoG stated that water is tested daily and is within "acceptable 
standards", as set by the European Union,for minerals and chemicals, 
and that there is no hexavalent chromium present. (Comment: After 
contacting various ministries within GoG, no definate answer was 
found as to who sets the standards on air and waterpollution in 
Greece.  A representative from the Ministry of Environment stated 
that the standards used in Greece for pollution and air quality 
measurements come from European Union standards. End comment.) 
Baltas promised that ongoing studies will serve to set new limits by 
the end of the year on dangerous industrial waste, and that a 
Presidential decree is expected over the coming months to establish 
laws on the creation of protected areas. It is expected that the 
Asopos will be one of these areas. 
 
¶7. (U) Econ Intern spoke with Oinofyta Mayor Theodoropoulos on 
August 4 to get his point of view, as it was his concern and 
disappointment with the GoG that led him to contact Erin Brockovich 
for help in addressing pollution in the Asopos River last year.  The 
Mayor sounded optimistic about the GoG's involvement with the Asopos 
in contrast to his previous outrage.  Unlike Brockovich's earlier 
assessment, and refuting the recent article on the issue, the Mayor 
described the situation of industrial dumping as having improved and 
noted that the GoG actively assesses and cleans the river on a 
regular basis.  Theodoropoulos verified that the area's drinking 
water has connected to the system in Mornos, and that systematic 
checking of the drinking water continues to take place.  He noted 
that it is impossible to check all industries, but stricter rules 
and projects to gather data on industries such as land measurements, 
property lines, amount of waste disposal, and pipeline locations 
have improved the pollution situation.  The Mayor indicated that the 
GoG installed an air station that tests air quality daily, and that 
a center for protection and research of the environment has been 
pre-approved.  Following completion of the assessment study, 
Oinofyta will be the pilot for the center. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Econ Intern spoke with Greenpeace Director Nikos 
Charalambides, who acknowledged the GoG's attempts to improve the 
situation, but is disappointed with the GoG for its lack of tangible 
progress made.  He recognized GoG efforts to monitor the air but 
explained that the monitoring of animals, groundwater, and 
individuals such as babies and pregnant women in various areas is 
necessary because inhalation of hexavalent chromium is more 
dangerous than its consumption.  He stressed that the punitive fines 
on industries are not high enough to motivate them to stop waste 
disposal, that efforts need to be made in addressing groundwater and 
that more checks in general are needed.  Charalambides expressed 
disappointment that neither the national government nor the local 
government has taken responsibility, and stressed that cooperation 
between agencies and departments is needed. (Note: Greenpeace plays 
a small role in the Asopos River by offering advice to local 
authorities, groups and to the Ministry of Environment. End note.) 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment. Public concern for environmental issues in Greece 
remains, albeit, at times unguided.  The GoG continues to receive 
sharp criticism on a range of its environmental efforts and 
failures, and continues to move towards establishing an independent 
Ministry of Environment within the next year.  It is curious that 
the Mayor of Oinofyta, previously one of the most outspoken GoG 
critics on the Asopos issue, has all but stopped speaking publicly, 
either for or against the GoG, and only quietly supports the GoG 
when speaking at all.  Like some of the reports indicate, Post 
 
ATHENS 00001168  003 OF 003 
 
 
believes that the GoG has taken considerable steps in some regards; 
however, Post remains hesitant to laud the steps as being entirely 
successful.  Post continues to engage the GoG on the environment, 
including by seeking opportunities to collaborate. For example, Post 
and the GoG have worked together on renewable energy projects in 
Greece and abroad and significant dialogue about climate change has 
taken place.  Given the initial outpouring of attention from 
American citizens on this issue last year, Post continues to monitor 
developments on this situation.  End Comment. 
 
MCCARTHY