Uninformed about the major changes taking place in the waste management of Attica, describes the Mayor of Vari–Voula–Vouliagmeni as EDSNA, on the occasion of remarks made by Mr. G. Konstantellos at the PEDA General Assembly, regarding the initiatives of the Special Intermunicipal Association of the Prefecture of Attica concerning waste management.
The announcement by the Special Intermunicipal Association of the Prefecture of Attica (EDSNA) states the following:
«Once again, the Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, Mr. Gregory Konstantellos He used the “platform” of the Attica Regional Union of Municipalities to present a series of inaccuracies regarding the operation of EDSNA. He had attempted to do the same in the recent past, at which time he accused EDSNA’s administration of mishandling a series of tenders for the procurement of equipment for source separation.
His allegations were investigated by the Court of Auditors and “collapsed” like a “house of cards.” Along with his allegations, his attempt to persuade the municipalities of Attica not to accept the equipment provided to them free of charge by EDSNA also came to nothing. Meanwhile, his claims regarding EDSNA’s lack of jurisdiction and illegal activities were, of course, proven to be baseless.
He learned nothing from this mistake. On the contrary, he repeated a new series of inaccuracies at the recent PEDA General Assembly, which have irreparably discredited him in the eyes of all the mayors of Attica.
We respond to Mr. Konstantellos’s inaccuracies with the truth
The EDSNA Administration, out of a sense of responsibility toward the citizens of Attica and the elected municipal administrations, responds with the facts to the inaccuracies stated by Mayor BBB. And because “a clear sky fears no lightning,” we are responding point by point to what he said at the meeting of the Attica Regional Union of Municipalities:
First fact: Contracts for disinfection services are entirely legal.
For assignments that concerned the disinfections, all legal procedures required by the legislation, in order to proactively address potential risks of the development of hotspots of pandemic of COVID-19, at all EDSNA facilities and on all of its fixed and mobile equipment, a fact that was also confirmed following audits by the Court of Auditors. It should be noted that EDSNA operates the largest municipal solid waste management facilities (landfills, waste-to-energy plants, waste sorting centers, etc.) throughout Greece and has a large number of fixed facilities and mobile equipment. It should also be noted that, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Energy regarding the safest methods for waste management during the period in which preventive measures are in effect, as part of efforts to protect public health from the spread of the coronavirus, equipment, waste transport vehicles, and trash bins must be disinfected regularly. For us, protecting the health of EDSNA staff and the public is non-negotiable.
Second, the revision of the Regional Spatial Development Plan was necessary, and it was carried out through transparent procedures that were beneficial to the National Agency for Spatial Planning and Urban Development.
Updating the Regional Waste Management Plan is the cornerstone for achieving recycling targets and adopting the circular economy model. The failure to update the Regional Waste Management Plans in the past resulted in waste management becoming trapped in the landfill model, with no progress made. Following the completion of the National Plan’s revision, EDSNA conducted an open tender to award the contract for the relevant study. Upon completion of the tender process, it signed a contract with the project contractor selected following a positive pre-contractual audit by the Court of Auditors. The contract amounts to €270,000 plus VAT and bears no relation to the amount Mr. Konstantellos cited as the contractor’s fee, namely the unrealistic sum of 1.37 million €. This amount was never paid, but is clearly either the result of misinformation on the part of Mr. Konstantellos or a figment of his imagination.
Truth #3. This is the actual cost of consultants for PPP tenders
Mr. Konstantellos stated that each tender costs €1.5 million in consulting fees, which is not true. He is likely confusing PPP tenders with the open tenders that EDSNA has conducted to prepare the necessary feasibility studies. The costs of technical and legal consultants in PPP tenders (which are particularly complex, intricate, and demanding public-private partnership contracts, both legally and technically, conducted in various stages, include the Competitive Dialogue procedure, and are subject to pre-trial appeals under Book IV of Law 4412/2016 (A’ 147)) does not exceed a total of €400,000 in fees until the end of the process, an amount that is reasonable given that the value of each contract amounts to nearly half a billion euros. So, that’s another 400,000 for all the tenders, and another 1.5 million for each one.
Fact #4: There is no overpricing in the operation of the EMA.
Regarding the alleged overpricing of the Mechanical Recycling Plant’s operations, the Mayor of BBB used some incomprehensible calculations, which essentially reveal that he is unfamiliar with the issue. He attempts to portray the operating costs of the mechanical recycling plant as allegedly inflated, while concealing the fact that the EMA, which was taken over by the current administration, handles 60% of incoming waste. With the imposition of the Landfill Fee (starting January 1, 2022, at 20 euros/metric ton and rising to 55 euros/metric ton) this would lead to a sharp increase in user fees, with the cost being passed on to residents.
To prevent this from happening, EDSNA, in collaboration with the municipalities, proceeded to purchase waste collection trucks for organic waste and brown bins, and to establish a separate collection stream for organic waste, with the aim of gradually transforming the EMA into a Green Plant that, instead of processing mixed waste (which has a residue of 60%), will process 100,000 metric tons per year on a single line (with an option for another line of the same capacity) with a residue of approximately 15–20%. This change will yield significant economic benefits, as it will reduce the burden of the landfill tax, but it will also have very significant environmental benefits. Essentially, we are talking about a new “Green Plant.”.
Fact #5: There is no overpricing at Grammatiko.
Regarding the budget of the Grammatiko Municipal Enterprise: First of all, Mayor BBB fails to understand that the budgeted cost of a tender is one thing, and the financial compensation—which is agreed upon and finalized after the completion of a tender—is another, based on the discount offered by the final contractor. Therefore, his allegations of overpricing at the budget level are unfounded. In any case, the tender for the construction of the Grammatiko Waste Treatment Plant is conducted based on a) the needs of the agency, in order to achieve recycling targets; b) designs approved by the competent Technical Council, and c) following consultation with the market.
Fact 6. The cost of MEAs corresponds to their capacity
The Mayor of BBB claimed that the budget for the new treatment plants is increasing, while their capacity is decreasing. The truth is that following the implementation of the new Circular Economy Directives, Waste Treatment Facilities (WTFs) will process an increasingly smaller portion of the waste generated in the form of mixed waste, with mixed waste accounting for 35% of the total waste generated by 2030. Instead, they will process an increasing amount of waste from source separation (biowaste, recyclables) in order to meet recycling targets and reduce landfill disposal to levels below 10%. Thus, what is (correctly) decreasing is the capacity for mixed waste, while the total capacity is increasing.
Fact #7. EDSNA pays between 25 and 30 euros per metric ton for the management of residual waste, not 240 as Mr. Konstantellos claims.
Regarding the utilization of residual waste and with the aim of increasing the percentage of waste diverted from landfills, EDSNA, following an open competitive bidding process and subject to the necessary review of the procedure by the Court of Auditors, proceeded to enter into a contract for the management of residual waste.
Unaware of the actual facts, the Mayor of BBB claimed that EDSNA has a treatment facility that it leases to a private individual for use. In fact, the exact opposite is true: the facility belongs to a private individual, and EDSNA has exclusive use of it.
Furthermore, using simplistic and incorrect calculations, he claimed that the cost for EDSNA supposedly amounts to 152 euros per metric ton, while at the same time stating that it costs 240 euros per metric ton (how can both be true at the same time?).
The reality is that EDSNA pays 25 euros per metric ton for large-sized waste, while for small-sized waste containing a significant amount of organic matter, 30 euros per metric ton, plus the cost of electricity for their processing. This cost, as demonstrated by a techno-economic study conducted prior to the relevant tender, is less than the benefit EDSNA derives from the savings in landfill space at the landfill site. In addition to the above, by diverting waste from landfilling, EDSNA and the municipalities are not subject to the landfill fee provided for in Article 38 of Law 4819/2021.
Together with the municipalities, we’re shifting gears in waste management
The truth is that waste management in Attica is at a critical juncture. All municipalities, in collaboration with EDSNA and the Region of Attica, are doing their very best every day to change long-standing habits and practices that harm the environment and our quality of life. We are fighting to ensure that source separation and recycling become firmly established in our lives and part of our daily routine for the benefit of future generations.
We call on Mr. Konstantellos to stop making inaccurate statements, to act responsibly, and to cooperate with EDSNA.
»From the Press Office"
