SaS: No Geological Study Exists on Site Suitability for Burying Animal... (2)

Levice, Arpil 24 (TASR) - There is no geological study on the suitability of the military site in Levice for burying dead animals in connection with the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, according to the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, which presented a statement from the Dionyz Stur State Geological Institute to support its claim in Levice on Thursday. Party leader Branislav Groehling called on Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) to resign, accusing him of lying about the existence of a geological study. According to Groehling, during a parliamentary committee meeting in March of this year, Takac, when asked directly by MP Alojz Hlina (SaS), claimed that a geological study had been conducted. However, Hlina argues that no such study was carried out, not even in Zahorie (Bratislava region), another site where dead animals were buried. MP Martina Bajo Holeckova (SaS) stated that she spent a month urging the relevant ministries and institutions to publish the geological study. "Minister Takac kept claiming that because it concerns a military site, the information couldn't be made public. I found out that no geological study exists. Instead, only an operational inspection of the site was carried out. This was confirmed for me by the Dionyz Stur State Geological Institute," she said. Member of Levice town council Vladimir Kuny stated that local councillors tried unsuccessfully to obtain a clear response from the ministry regarding the burying of dead animals near Levice. "We sent an open letter to the minister and later invited him to a special council meeting. He initially agreed to attend but then cancelled two days before the session. We then submitted questions under the freedom of information act. A day after the legal deadline for a response, the ministry extended the deadline [for its answer] by another eight days," said Kuny. Agriculture Minister Richard Takac has rejected SaS's accusations, calling them false. "I can assure you that we have all the necessary documentation from the Environment Ministry. This documentation was provided to the Defence Ministry, as the site in question falls under its authority. The Defence Ministry made it clear that no animals would be buried until it had received the proper approvals from the Environment Ministry. The burials only began once those approvals were in place," said Takac, describing SaS's statements as misleading and an attempt to deceive the public. lin/df