Even before the possible resumption of dynamite blasting in and around Anopoli, a definite roar rumbled through the village and, eventually, engulfed most of the township.

The reason for the explosion?

The combustible issue of business versus environment.

It all began when the Gournes Quarries Ltd, a company owned by the behemoth Titan Corporation, applied for 39 stremata at the Thio Gremi area in Anopolis, and asked it be   labelled as a quarry zone for the excavation of inert material.

Apparently, although quarries have operated in Anopolis in the past, the area was never labelled as a quarry zone.

In 2001, a special licence and approval of environment-related rules was given to the company in order to restore the 150,000 square-meter quarry area in Thio Gremi. This “restoration-only” licence, which prohibits normal quarry activities, was renewed in 2005 and ends this October.

According to informed sources that wised to remain anonymous, the Anopoli Village Council tried to “fast track” the quarry’s approval, but word leaked out and local legislators, environmental organizations and civic associations jumped on the issue in a vociferous manner.

Almost immediately, The Gouves Township called for an emergency meeting to discuss the

situation, and to give a platform to all interested parties.

It was at this meeting that Emmanouil Pervolarakis, president of the Anopoli Village Council, announced that the application of the Gournes Quarries Ltd. received six positive votes and only one negative vote at his table.

The lone negative vote was cast by Zaharia Farsari, who explained: “at the very least I voted no out of respect for the environment and out of respect for the memory of so many local men killed and buried at the site during the German occupation.

In chairing the meeting, Mayor Yiorgos Nikolakakis emphasized that it was a serious undertaking – this particular type of decision making – as no government agency wants to handle “such a hot potato” of an item.

 “We all use the materials from the quarries,” he said.  “One way to handle such an issue would be to give the quarry a very specific amount of time for excavations and very specific rules and conditions for restoration. To do that, we must know every aspect and the smallest detail for and against, and all the legalities involved.”  

Kostantinos Tamiolakis, a metallurgist engineer with the quarry, took the floor to explain the restorations that his company is presently executing, like the planting of trees, but tempers flared and he was soon shouted down.

The vice mayors, E. Hatzakis and G. Merambeliotakis, agreed that Gouves is a rapidly growing Demos and as such it would be wise to incorporate in its folds all sorts of enterprises. It was also mentioned that the township receives about 300.000 euros annually from the quarry.

It was also pointed out that people who own property within 1000 meters from the quarry cannot get a building licence and their properties are worthless.

Other complaints centered on the fact that many homes near the site have been destroyed, bearing deep cracks on the walls and foundations.

The tourism contingency brought up the issue that such an activity in our area undermines tourism just when “we are taking some positive steps to boost it up.”

One of the topics that were only whispered about at the meeting was the fact that the church owns the quarry property and leases it to the company, and it could easily solve this entire matter.

“That’s really a hot potato,” said one unidentified councilman. “No one wants to touch that one. It’s a lot easier – and safer – to harangue a politician than a man of God.”  

After a grueling few hours, Mayor Nikolakakis found it necessary to announce a halt to the meeting.

“Many more meetings with the quarry’s representatives must be scheduled before any one can have a clear view of the situation, and before any of us can decide how to vote.”  

In related news concerning the controversial issue, Yiannis Skoulas, Pasok MP, in a letter to the minister at ΠΕΧΩΔΕ (the Environment, Building and Public Works ministry) asks: “What is being done to distance the quarry from the area, because on one hand the area cannot be labelled as a quarry zone, as it is a tourist zone, and on the other hand, the licence for restoration that was given according to the decision 2267/05 of the then Iraklion governor is not being enforced because the entire area remains enveloped in dust and in dire need of improvements.”

And, Manolis Stratakis, Pasok MP in his letter to ΠΕΧΩΔΕ, talks about the intense opposition from the locals towards the operation of a quarry to excavate inert materials in the Anopoli area for so many years now, resulting in burdening the environment and undermining the area’s quality of life.

“If the Minister intends to protect the environment and the inhabitants of the Gouves Township,” he wrote, “he must not allow the continuation of excavation works for inert materials but instead insist that the works for restoration of the area begin, which according to the environmental rules of the licence must be finished by October 5, 2008.”        

Last March, the Gournes Association Development and Environment sent a letter to the Iraklion Prefecture and to the Environment Protection and Elevation Agency reporting on the quarry activities in the Anopoli area.

“Rather than the works for restoration and recovery is carried out as it was ordered by a decision of the Iraklion Governor, the quarry company continues to excavate inert material according to testimonies from the locals and the continuous movement of trucks carrying such materials.”

The president of the Association, Mrs. Vasiliki Alexaki stated: “Some years ago, Aris Konstantinithis known for his sensitivities in matters of environment and human intervention in nature, had this to say about quarries: “What is this evil with these quarries that eat up the Attica landscape, and other areas, almost everywhere in Greece. It’s as if we eat our own flesh and rip apart our souls. Then we try some architecture to save the situation.” And she continued “The Gournes quarry is unfortunately a confirmation of the aforementioned quote. I would just like to remind you that some MPs, namely Lithia Kafantari, Elpitha Pantelaki, Bobbis Haralambous from K.K.E., Yiannis Skoulas, Manolis Stratakis from PASOK and Alexanthros Alavanos from Synaspismo are sensitive to this problem, have asked and will keep asking questions at the parliament regarding this matter. We are informed by the Iraklion Prefecture that all the restoration works by the quarry have been ordered to be completed by November 1, 2008.”

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