The EU Mission for the Support of Palestinian Police and Rule of Law
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EUPOL COPPS urges protection of the environment

 

Henrik Forssblad, EUPOL COPPS’ Environmental Crime Police Adviser, said that protecting the environment was of paramount importance for Palestine and praised the efforts of the Palestinian Authority in combating illegal dumping of waste and hazardous materials.

The Swedish expert, who has over 20 years of experience in combating environmental crimes,  together with the Head of the Environment Quality Authority (EQA) Jamil Emtour, toured a dumping site near Ramallah and saw for themselves the immense amount of waste littering the beautiful olive groves in the area.

“The leachate resulting from the decomposition of this landfill site is highly polluting and ultimately seeps down to the underground water aquifers,” said Forssblad. “All should contribute in maintaining a cleaner environment for the benefit of future generations,” he added.

The landfill contains plastic containers, wood, glass, metal and other construction material debris. 

Mr. Emtour said that the dumping of waste also causes significant health problems for the surrounding population.

EUPOL COPPS, which provides support to the Palestinian Civil Police and the Judiciary, has recently paid special attention to environmental issues in order to assist Palestinian counterparts in maintaining a clean environment.