Environmental authorities on Monday began removing hazardous chemical waste from a former shoe sole factory linked to multiple cancer cases in a residential area of Latsia, marking the end of a prolonged legal battle.
The Astrasol factory, which used dichloromethane in its manufacturing process, has been at the centre of controversy after studies showed the carcinogenic substance had affected the surrounding community.
Local resident Ionas Kailis, whose house adjoins the factory, told philenews that 67 people in the area had died, with 47 others currently suffering from cancer. Some cases remain unreported, he added.
“If anything happens (in case of fire for example), a large area of Nicosia and its suburbs, beyond 5 square kilometres, is at risk”, said Kailis, who lost his wife to cancer.
Environment Department Director Theodulos Mesimeris said a specialised company from Limassol has been contracted to collect, transport and manage the hazardous waste. The operation is expected to conclude by week’s end.
“Trucks transporting the waste will be accompanied by security vehicles during their journey to Limassol”, Mesimeris said.
The department implemented strict security measures, including 24-hour surveillance and police presence to prevent accidents during the removal process.
The case had previously reached the Supreme Court, which in September 2022 overturned a lower court’s decision that had awarded compensations ranging from 40,000 to 100,000 euros to each victim.
The Supreme Court ruled that despite an epidemiological study by Dr Michalis Voniatis and Dr Konstantinos Makris on dichloromethane’s effects in the residential area, there was “failure to document through medical examination” that cancer cases were a direct result of exposure to the carcinogenic substance.
Dr Makris, an environmental health professor at TEPAK, later noted that linking individual cancer cases directly to chemical exposure is not standard medical practice, as such connections are typically established through population-level studies rather than individual diagnoses.
The waste removal operation follows a recent meeting between local authorities, including the Environment Department, Labour Inspection Department, Police, and Fire Service, where the action plan was outlined.
