Based on accredited measurements conducted between April and June by the Csongrád-Csanád County Government Office, no alkylbenzene contamination exceeding the limit value can be detected in the areas around Szeged (southern Hungary) to which topsoil was transported from the site of the BYD project, the office informed MTI on Tuesday.
According to the statement, BYD had soil excavated from the construction site transported to an area of approximately 20 hectares, and ten percent of these areas received soil contaminated with other alkylbenzenes.
The government office launched proceedings on February 12 after learning that BYD Auto Hungary Kft. may have violated the provisions of its environmental permit by having topsoil removed from its site without the required mandatory measurements and reporting. As the investigation revealed, based on samples taken in March, a portion of the humus-rich topsoil contained other alkylbenzenes at levels ranging from 0.7 to 4.16 mg/kg, exceeding the statutory limit of 0.5 mg/kg. The government office therefore ordered the destruction of the crop before harvesting began and also filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator on suspicion of environmental damage.
Subsequently, the government office conducted accredited soil testing at 101 sampling points in the affected areas and also monitored groundwater quality. Based on the laboratory test results, it can be concluded that by May, there was no longer any alkylbenzene contamination exceeding the limit value. These results were also confirmed by BYD’s accredited measurement data. The contamination has ceased because the volatile pollutant likely evaporated from the soil; thus, there is no risk to health, and the areas can continue to be used as farmland.
In light of these results, the government agency closed the proceedings it had initiated under its environmental jurisdiction and imposed a 10 million forint (28 606 euros) environmental fine on BYD Auto Hungary Kft. for conducting activities in violation of the provisions of its environmental permit, and required the company to carry out any further soil removal from the investment site only after appropriate sampling and testing have been conducted, and only with the prior approval of the government office. In addition, in a separate order, the government office also required the company to pay the procedural costs incurred due to the accredited sampling and testing.
The government agency also published the detailed measurement reports on its website.
Via MTI; Featured image: BYD Hungary
