„I already have the required 17 signatures, but a few more people still need to sign. (…) The document is signed with today’s date, and I will register it late tonight,“ – A. Nemunaitis told BNS on Monday.
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To initiate an extraordinary meeting, at least one-third of the Vilnius City Council members are required – 17 signatures.
According to A. Nemunaitis, once the required number of signatures is collected, the mayor of the capital, Valdas Benkunskas, must convene a council meeting no later than two weeks after receiving the official request.
„We have a bunch of questions as council members, at least from what I talk with the opposition, and they should be answered for us, and then the draft document obliges the administration to, within ten working days, which is just before the council meeting, provide us in writing with what the real action plan is,“ said the council member.
A. Nemunaitis said he does not believe V. Benkunskas’s statements that the waste management price will not change due to the current situation and that recycling will not be interrupted.
„Preliminary contracts need to be shown, commitments need to be shown, talk about prices, at what prices, even if ‘Energesman’ refuses, at what prices others (waste – BNS) will transport,“ he indicated.
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BNS wrote that the waste crisis in the Vilnius region arose due to last year’s fire at the Vilnius waste sorting plant, which has not yet resumed its normal operation, and the Vilnius cogeneration power plant reducing waste incineration volumes.
The Vilnius County Waste Management Center (VAATC) announced on July 10 that it was terminating the contract with “Energesman” – the latter appealed to the Vilnius District Court, but on Monday the court rejected its request to apply interim protective measures and stop the unilateral termination of the contract – and began taking over the plant’s equipment, but its representatives were prevented from entering its territory.
Soon after, last week the center filed a lawsuit with the Vilnius District Court and asked to oblige “Energesman” to transfer the operation of the plant to VAATC.
VAATC last week turned to the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office regarding the possibly criminal activities of the plant operator “Energesman”.
Environment Minister Ieva Andriulaitytė said that for now it was decided not to declare a state-level emergency – waste incineration capacities will be increased. Meanwhile, the head of the National Crisis Management Center, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, said that the possibility of declaring an emergency at the state level is not ruled out.
