Mayor admits high arsenic levels in Halkidiki
Christos Pachtas, the mayor of Aristoteli in Halkidiki, has admitted that the level of arsenic in the area’s water supply is above the recommended limit.
The admission was included in an Interior Ministry response to a question from SYRIZA MP Katerina Igglezi, who has actively supported Halkidiki residents in their opposition to a gold mine in Skouries.
One of the arguments put forward by opponents of the mine is that substances, such as arsenic, used in the mining process will poison locals’ water supply.
Pachtas added in his notes that the level of arsenic in the water was above the recommended level of 10 mg/l but below 30 mg/l, where it had been a few years ago.
He also said that the arsenic level reached 50 mg/l in 2003.
