Soon, the burial sites located in Iwiny—right next to the Bolesławiec–Złotoryja road, at the turnoff to Lubków—will be removed. For more than 30 years, they have held expired plant-protection products deposited there by the Gminna Spółdzielnia “Samopomoc Chłopska,” which no longer exists.
“The Gminna Spółdzielnia no longer exists, but the problem remains,” says Robert Rosiński, a councillor on the Bolesławiec County Council. “And it is a huge problem. According to my information, in 1975–1977 an ‘organising campaign’ was carried out—in other words, the disposal—from the commercial facilities of the Gminna Spółdzielnia ‘SCh’ of expired plant-protection products. They were placed in two concrete ‘bunkers,’ former explosive-material warehouses of the former ‘Konrad’ Mining Works in Iwiny.
Over time, the concrete bunkers, partially covered with soil, became overgrown with grass and trees, and people stopped paying attention to them, despite a sign bearing a skull and crossbones and the words ‘Warning, poisonous substances. No entry’ standing between them. “Today, when I speak with people from Iwiny and the surrounding area, few know what is there. Only some older residents remember,” Rosiński says. “Meanwhile, when I found out what was there, and above all, how much of it there was, I was horrified, and then I took action. Eliminating the burial sites in Iwiny became one of the most important goals of my work as a county councillor. For four years, I have continuously submitted motions on this matter at County Council meetings. I also sent an inquiry to the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Wrocław. At my request, the Inspectorate conducted an inspection of the burial sites a year ago, which only confirmed my concerns and motivated me to act with even greater determination.
As the councillor stresses, the burial sites in Iwiny are a real environmental time bomb. “The amount of toxic pesticides stored there is impressive. There are almost 50 tonnes of them!” says Robert Rosiński. “At present, no one can say with complete certainty whether they are properly secured. As far as I know, they were placed in plastic barrels. In addition, while investigating the matter, I learned that the burial sites are located in an area under the highest level of protection for the resources of the so-called Main Groundwater Reservoir No. 317. In plain language, this means they are close to a huge underground lake that is a natural reserve of drinking water for the entire Bolesławiec County! It does not take much imagination to realise what could happen if the contents of the burial sites seeped first into the soil and then into the reservoir mentioned above.
“Fortunately, my persistent efforts to have the matter taken seriously have finally received the proper response,” Rosiński continues. “The Bolesławiec starost, Cezary Przybylski, became personally involved and intervened several times: first with the voivode, and then at the Marshal’s Office in Wrocław. Finally, after many disputes over responsibilities—with considerable sums of money at stake—a contract for the elimination of the burial sites was signed in March this year. A contractor has now been selected: a specialist company that deals with the removal and disposal of this type of material.
For the councillor, however, the most important fact is that the company in question will enter the burial-site area next week and by the beginning of December is to remove and eliminate the contents of the burial sites, including the concrete structure of the shelters. What is more, if necessary, some of the soil beneath the burial sites will also be removed.
Robert Rosiński makes no secret of his joy. “It is not only because I have fought for this over the past four years. And not only because I have been connected with Iwiny for 28 years—it is almost like my second home. The most important thing is that another major toxic threat, which has been polluting our land for years, will disappear. There is still a long way to go before we become a safe and environmentally clean country, but here every step forward counts, even the smallest one,” he adds.
(information ii)