Vilnius region landfill pollution sparks community protest and emergency declaration

The municipal council of Elektrėnai has unanimously declared an emergency situation over severe pollution from the Kazokiškės landfill, demanding the revocation of its operating permit and calling for a new site to be found, LRT reports.

On Wednesday, the council backed Mayor Gediminas Ratkevičius’s proposal to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (AAA) to withdraw the integrated pollution prevention and control permit issued to the Vilnius Region Waste Management Centre (VAATC), which operates the landfill. “Environmental rules have been violated repeatedly—it’s time to revoke their right to conduct this activity. I hope for such an outcome, but we’ll see,” Ratkevičius said during the session.

The council also supported a motion to petition the Ministry of Environment for a new location for the non-hazardous waste landfill serving the Vilnius region. “The situation is dire, and pollution has been ongoing since the landfill’s launch in 2007, but recently it has become particularly alarming,” the mayor stated. He noted that since January 1 of this year, pollution limits had been exceeded on 19 occasions—not by percentages, but by multiples, in some cases up to 24 times the allowable level.

The emergency declaration follows a recommendation from local crisis management specialists and complaints from four residents. Ratkevičius acknowledged that current measures, developed in cooperation with VAATC and environmentalists, have failed to improve the situation. “Unfortunately, the steps we’ve taken are insufficient—the situation isn’t improving; in fact, it’s worsening,” he admitted. The emergency status will enable the municipality to take more decisive action to bring the situation under control.

When asked whether residents suffering from pollution and odour should be relocated, Ratkevičius said the question would be considered. “There’s no data today requiring immediate action, but we will discuss this at the Emergency Operations Centre and make a decision,” he added.

Before the council meeting, local residents held a protest, with organiser Margarita Skvarčienė accusing authorities of neglect. “What’s happening now is absurd. We had to organise this picket because we feel unheard and abandoned by all institutions, including our own local government, which we elected,” she said. Skvarčienė claimed residents could no longer live a “quality life or even go outside” due to the pollution, causing both physical and emotional harm. “We’re choking; our children play in polluted air. We can’t go on living like this,” she said.

In mid-March, the Environmental Protection Department recorded air pollution at the landfill, with hydrogen sulphide levels exceeding permissible limits by roughly five times during monitoring. VAATC was ordered to reduce emissions and fined between €140 and €600. The company stated it continuously monitors the landfill’s environmental impact and is working to prevent further violations.