Poor management of an electricity plant on the island of Syros has resulted in a public health threat due to it producing large amounts of waste and causing air pollution, according to an Ombudsman report released yesterday.

The Ombudsman's investigation took place after complaints from locals dating back to 2001 about the environmental impact of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) plant.

«The plant operated for two years, from 2003-2005, without adopting approved environmental conditions, while for many years it did not possess a permit to dispose of waste. The responsibility for these problems lies with regional authorities,» the report said.

Prefectural officials on the Cycladic island also confirmed that the plant's reserve electricity producing unit operated illegally and that it did not have a waste management license. The prefecture slapped state-controlled PPC with a 60,000-euro fine and accused those in charge of the unit of being responsible for repeating the same environmental violations.