Kyiv Region Prosecutor Demands Court Order to Close Irpin Landfill Threatening Public Health

The Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office has taken decisive legal action by filing a lawsuit to eliminate a landfill situated in the city of Irpin. This move addresses the alarming situation stemming from an illegal dump that has become a source of danger to public health. The prosecutor's office announced the lawsuit on its Telegram channel on Wednesday, emphasizing the landfill's extensive area of over 3.4 hectares, which has been established within the city limits in blatant violation of environmental legislation, located in close proximity to the Bucha River.

According to investigations and conducted examinations, the soil surrounding the landfill has recorded levels of Escherichia coli bacteria exceeding permissible limits by more than a thousand times. Furthermore, significant pollution of the surface waters of the Bucha River has been detected, along with the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and heavy metals in the soil. The prosecutor's office stresses that this situation poses a real threat to public health and could lead to the outbreak of acute infectious diseases.

The prosecutor's office reports that the total environmental damage caused exceeds 5 million hryvnias. It has been noted that the landfill arose as a result of an illegal decision made by the Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety of the Executive Committee of the Irpin City Council. Moreover, this situation has already led to a local-level technogenic emergency.

In light of these circumstances, the prosecutor's office, acting in the interests of the state, has approached the Economic Court of the Kyiv Region with demands to recover over 5 million hryvnias in damages from the Irpin City Council, recognize the inaction of the local government as unlawful, and obligate the closure of the illegal landfill.

Additionally, the lawsuit calls for measures to restore the soils and waters of the Bucha River that have been affected by pollution. The court has already opened proceedings in this matter, reflecting the seriousness of the situation and the urgent need for action to protect public health and the environment.