The Minister of the Environment, about the black snow in Bucharest: “This reaches our lungs”

The Minister of the Environment, Diana Buzoianu, declared on Wednesday evening, on Digi24, that the snow that was not collected in Bucharest and is now black represents the “image-symbol of pollution” in the Capital and warned that the particles that dirty the snow actually end up in people's lungs.

“This is the symbolic image of the pollution that we have in Bucharest. That it comes from traffic, the pollution that is associated with traffic, or that it also comes from construction sites that are not managed correctly according to the law, from illegal cutting, from anti-skid materials, because this is also happening at the moment. All these things, in fact, are some measures, let's say. Each situation should have some measures attached that are improved. On new illegal burnings we started doing some more severe controls around Bucharest and we even had record sanctions in the last year compared to the last few years. But we will have to pay attention to what it means to comply with the measures on the construction sites,” said Diana Buzoianu.

“A Silent Enemy”

The minister warned that the pollution visible on the snow actually reflects the air breathed daily by the capital's inhabitants.

“If this pollution does not end up on the snow, in the water and in the soil, it ends up in our lungs. Before we care that it ended up in the water, in the soil, and I also know where, through the sewers, this pollution ends up in our lungs, we just don't see it every day. This is a silent enemy that we don't see every day. That's why it's important to comply with environmental legislation. That's why when I say that the controls have increased, when I say that the fines have increased and I get answers like – ah, the environment has come to appease the development -, because this is the perspective of many people who want to manipulate the subject. It is very important to understand that the environmental legislation and the observance of the legislation include a defense of our health. So, apart from the fact that this water with snow, we actually see what happens and what people breathe every day, added Buzoianu.

“We have a very big problem going forward”

Asked if there is an increase in air quality in the Capital, the Minister of the Environment claimed that, overall, the data indicate improvements, but the problem of pollution remains serious.

“The numbers are given by the air quality monitoring stations which still show that there is improvement. These sensors still show that year on year things have improved, but again, we still have a very big problem, let's face it. It's just that, really, the fleet has been renewed, which has added a little bit to the overall improvement. Absolutely, fantastic improvement, on the contrary, I say, we still have a problem, just not it got worse, but we still have a very big problem that we have to solve. There are also some measures. Moreover, Bucharest was fined, it is fined annually,” explained the Minister of the Environment.

Diana Buzoianu added that Romania is in infringement proceedings because several cities have not adopted air quality plans.

Asked if her message is addressed to the general mayor or the sector mayors, the minister replied that “all the mayors who have a responsibility to protect our rights (…) must make these plans”, stressing that the document should have been adopted “more than 10 years ago”.