The largest fire at the Uikala landfill occurred in May of last year, when more than 200 firefighters took part in extinguishing efforts that lasted nine days. Four of them were injured during the operation. So far this year, Uikala has already caught fire 11 times.

According to the Rescue Board, Ekovir, the company operating the Uikala landfill, has not taken all necessary measures to prevent fires at the site or to combat them independently when they occur, instead relying on firefighters. Janar Kärner, head of the Rescue Board's eastern rescue center, said that firefighters trained for life-saving operations should not be spending hours or days extinguishing a single landfill fire or addressing the consequences of the owner's negligence.

"If a company knows that its operations cause fires, it must implement every possible measure to prevent them or, if they do occur, to respond itself. We see that the company is not making sufficient efforts and has acted quite irresponsibly toward us over the years," Kärner said.

Tax arrears of over €2 million

Ekovir's tax debt exceeds €2.3 million. Of that, more than €800,000 in pollution charges for waste remains unpaid, and the company owes nearly €600,000 in unpaid value-added tax. Ekovir also has €385,000 in unpaid social tax and €198,000 in unpaid income tax. In addition, interest on the debt has accumulated to €275,000.

Janar Kärner said that Ekovir's failure to meet fire safety requirements may stem from the company's financial difficulties. "If a company is unable to meet safety and environmental requirements, it raises the question of whether it should be operating in this field at all," Kärner said.

Ekovir, which handles waste collection and transportation and employs 94 people according to the commercial register, reported that it reached an agreement with the Tax and Customs Board this Wednesday to defer its tax payments. The board did not confirm this, citing tax confidentiality. However, as of Saturday evening, the payment schedule on the Tax and Customs Board's website still showed zeros — figures that should have changed following the signing of the agreement.

For comparison, the municipal services company N&V, which shares the same shareholders and beneficiaries (Natalia Ossipenko and Igor Gorjatšjov) as Ekovir, has had its entire €222,000 tax debt deferred, with the final payment due on December 20 of this year.

Company working on a new disposal site

Janar Kärner, head of the Rescue Board's eastern rescue center, acknowledged that current laws do not allow the Rescue Board to impose sanctions for fire safety violations in landfill operations, but such actions can be taken in cooperation with the Environmental Board.

The Environmental Board has sent Ekovir a draft precept requesting feedback. Among other issues, it highlights the need for fire safety at the landfill to meet the requirements previously set by the Rescue Board.

Käthlyn Lizdenis, head of the Environmental Board's Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru office, said the agency is concerned about whether the company will be able to properly complete a new disposal area by autumn, as the existing area is nearing capacity. Ekovir has stated that they aim to have the new disposal area ready by the end of summer.

On a positive note, the Environmental Board said that after a major fire led to a temporary ban on waste acceptance at the landfill, Ekovir has since complied with the orders issued to it. "They have assured us that they want to resolve the longstanding issues that have built up over the years and operate in accordance with the law, and that the owner has promised to secure the funds needed to bring the landfill into compliance with environmental requirements," said Lizdenis.

According to the Environmental Board, alongside the Kiviõli chemical plant, Uikala is the second most problematic enterprise in Virumaa (made up of Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru counties — ed.), and monitoring and advising the landfill consumes a disproportionately large amount of officials' working hours compared to other companies.

"This level of resource use for a single company is highly disproportionate. Last year, an inspector spent hundreds of hours inspecting and following up on the Uikala landfill. Routine company inspections do not typically require that kind of effort," Lizdenis noted.

Firm hopes to solve problems

In Ida-Viru County, Ekovir holds waste transport contracts with Alutaguse Municipality and the cities of Sillamäe, Narva and Kohtla-Järve. According to the company's website, they also have similar agreements with Anija and Jõgeva municipalities. The most recent contract, signed last spring with Alutaguse Municipality, is valid until the spring of 2028. Contracts with the other municipalities are set to expire either next year or the year after.

Ragn-Sells, which serves the city of Narva-Jõesuu and the municipalities of Lüganuse, Jõhvi and Toila in Ida-Viru County, has been critical of its competitor and says it has considered terminating its contract with the Uikala landfill. "We have indeed considered ending our use of the service, given that a landfill operating in Estonia today can fail to meet all environmental requirements and carry persistent tax debts. Yet, this has not prevented the company from participating in public procurements where it competes with waste handlers who strictly comply with all quality and environmental standards and therefore have significantly higher cost bases," said Katrin Kulderknup, the company's marketing and communications specialist.

Ragn-Sells confirmed that it uses the Uikala landfill's services minimally. "We transport mixed municipal waste, biowaste and bulky waste collected from organized waste collection areas to Uikala. Due to the landfill's location, transporting certain waste types to other treatment facilities would be economically impractical or would result in excessive environmental impact," Kulderknup added.

In a written response to ERR, Ekovir stated that it is committed to doing everything within its power to resolve the existing issues.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!