HAI got away with it on the issue of the Aesop river

The Hellenic Aerospace Industry moves to counter attack as a victim (!) wishing to present its own version of the story of the fine received by the ministry of Environment for their environmental violations.

After months of delays (the related on-the-spot inspections by ministry experts were conducted at the beginning of this year) it seems that HAI is getting away easily despite the initial information mentioning a heavier fine; the final one will probably be 220,000 euros according to sources.

For a while now, there has been certain information that the ministry of Defense has been putting on the pressure so that HAI would avoid a new environmental catastrophe and a devastating fine.

However, the violations that were identified by the environmental inspectors considered to be perfectly «bound», although HAI appears to have amended some violations and provided adequate explanation for several others.

HIA says that «the total of the alleged violations does not relate to a perceived pollution or transgression of any limits» and that they do not encumber the soil.

But in the review of July 30th 2010 conducted by environmental inspectors, this argument is rebutted since the random checks on eight of the nine areas, identified high concentrations of hexavalent chromium ranging from 57 to 141 micrograms per liter.

And these nine conductors wash HAI waste into the Aesop river!

However, in yesterday’s announcement, HAI are trying to appear as a "scapegoat" of pollution. After they define themselves as an ambassador abroad, they list the signed 500-million-euro contracts with leading companies and investments of 6 million euros in pollution control technologies, as well as an interest in the establishment of a hazardous waste control unit. HAI blames the fine to the incomplete licensing and the State.

As they claim, the fines are imposed for failure to authorize wastewater disposal from the plant of the company; they say that since December 2007 they have submitted all the applications and related studies for the issue of the necessary environmental permits, but there has been excessive delay in responding to their submission.

On other subjects identified by the inspectors, such as non-submitting a management plan for volatile organic compounds, and also transgression of soot and carbon dioxide rates, the industry claims that they are at an acceptable level and that they use mainly natural gas.