NEWS

Wrecked recycling unit probed

Authorities are investigating possible links between last week’s toxic fire that destroyed a recycling plant in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens, and an illegal waste shipment from Greece that was intercepted by Bulgarian police last month.

The 40-ton cargo that was falsely tagged as recyclable waste, is believed to have been illegally exported to Bulgaria for disposal, sources told Kathimerini. The truck, owned by the same company that runs the Aspropyrgos facility, was sent back to Greece.

Another Bulgaria-bound shipment, exported by the same company, was reportedly intercepted in 2012. The company was then slapped with a 132,000-euro fine.

Meanwhile, several non-governmental groups have said the plant treated common waste under the guise of a recycling facility. The facility, which has been burned three times in the past three years, has been repeatedly fined by Greek authorities for reckless operation.

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