Problems
Garbage hotspot near Makuhovka village
Near the village Makuhovka, 11 kilometers from Poltava is the largest garbage dump in the Poltava region. For almost 70 years of operation from the pit of the sand pit, the mountain of junk rose to the height of a five-story building. In the middle of the pile, the temperature rises to plus hundreds of degrees. The junk begins to smolder. Smoke and stench often cover the village. Residents complain that they live in an environmental disaster. They have no quality drinking water and are deprived of the opportunity to bathe in the river and local lakes. Residents of houses closest to the landfill are forced to put up with the terrible smell.
What are the dangers of an unregistered landfill near the village of Makuhovka
If an officially registered landfill is dangerous in the absence of waste sorting equipment or a waste processing plant on its territory, the spontaneous dump is more dangerous by many times due to the lack of control, and therefore - any environmental protection measures. A spontaneous landfill can contain a variety of ultra-high hazard level waste. In addition, they are placed without regard to sanitary rules and regulations. The removal of waste to unorganized landfills, as well as spontaneous dumps, poses an epidemiological hazard. The landfill in Makukhovka is a serious source of environmental pollution. In the depths of the garbage heap, decomposition processes take place, in which anaerobic bacteria take part. As a result of this process, a toxic biological gas is released, one of its components being methane. Deep contamination of the ground takes place, the stinking air is blown by the wind for long distances, and if there is groundwater under the dump, it is practically poisoned. Thus, the nearest water bodies are toxic and dangerous for humans. And the soil is unusable for several hundred years after the landfill is closed. The ignition of emitted gas is a fairly common occurrence in landfills. Toxic smoke enters the atmosphere and poisons all life within a radius of several kilometers. According to many scientists, methane is one of the culprits of the increasing greenhouse effect. The area of the landfill near the village of Makuhovka is increasing at a very fast pace. The inhaled air leads to the poisoning of people. Residents of Makuhovka, who live near the landfill, often complain of poor health, and some develop cancerous tumors from the poisonous fumes.
The problem is exacerbated by the inaction of the authorities
Peter Vorona, head of the regional council, Vladimir Marchenko, 1st deputy of the regional council, Stepan Bulba, head of the regional council commission on housing and utilities, Vasyl Stepenko, head of the Poltava district state administration, and other officials discussed what to do with the long-defunct landfill, which continues to function. Also, the company SPR-Group was instructed to build sewage treatment plants. Its director Ruslan Hariv promised to do the work in a short time. It was agreed that the city authorities, responsible for garbage collection, sabotaged this issue. Chairman of the Poltava community Olexander Mamay repeatedly spoke about some investors who will build a recycling plant, but all statements did not advance beyond words. That is why the problem with garbage is not solved. But already in 2005, the landfill has used up its resources. The incessant flow of waste brought to Makuhovka threatens big environmental problems.
Gallery
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Timelines
2021
June 04
On June 4, new protests began. Protesters demanded the closure and reclamation of the Poltava city landfill. Locals blocked the road for specialized trucks of KATP-1628. They believe that the company does not comply with the requirements of the environmental inspection and pollutes the land. Residents want to make the action indefinite until there is a response from the Makuhovka government.
2020
September 03
In Makukhovka, a fire at a landfill has been burning for more than a day. According to preliminary information, the cause of the fire was arson. Poltava rescuers learned about the fire on the afternoon of September 3. Immediately 27 firefighters and 5 fire trucks arrived on the scene. Later another 50 rescuers and 7 units of special equipment arrived to help, reports the press service of the State Fire Service. Before the flames spread, dump workers allegedly heard a "pop". This was reported by the deputy mayor of Poltava Alexei Chepurko at a session of the city council, reports "RBC-Ukraine". Already after a while the fire quickly covered 70 square meters of the area - on the side where the dump was not covered with soil.
2014
December 25
In the village of Makukhovka people staged a protest against the exploitation of the local landfill. It is the largest in the region and should have been closed back in 2006 when it was found to be 107% overfilled. Road closures and a rally under the city administration did not yield the desired result. There was no response from the government. Alexander Bublik, the 34-year-old chairman of the Kovalevsky Village Council, said that there are plans to build a waste processing factory.