Ndotja kërcënon banorët e Obiliqit

Based on this article, in 2010, 14 people from Obiliq are diagnosed with cancer and the number of people who visit the hospital is increasing from last year, this date are form the Obiliq Hospital. The KEK spokesman said that, 18 000 ton of dangerous material will be remove from the Obiliq, and in that place they will build a garden with many trees.  The direction of Environmental Protection sector said that the gas emission from KEK exceed the norms of European Union.

Reference:

Kasapolli-Selani Ariana "Ndotja Kërcënon Banorët E Obiliqit." Radio Evropa E Lirë. 03 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.evropaelire.org/content/article/3545433.html>.

KEK, € 25 million need to stop the air pollution

Based on the KEK’s functionary, the cost to repair three electro filters is € 25 million. This year, KEK will substitute two electro filters and next year they will substitute the last one. This repairing is paying only by KEK’s budget. After repairing those electro filters, the gas emission will be decreases in the air, it will be less than 50 mg/Nm³.  

Reference:

"KEK-u 25 Milionë Euro Për Mos Ndotjen E Ajrit « Ekonomi – Telegrafi. 26 July 2001. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.telegrafi.com/ekonomi/kek-u-25-milione-euro-per-mos-ndotjen-e-ajrit-46-8984.html>.

Integrating Environment into Agriculture and Forestry 

Progress and Prospects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

"Forestry. The Kosovo Forest Agency, established in 2003, is responsible for managing 

forests, i.e., public forests, and supervising private forest land. A Forestry Law, approved in 2003, is 

based on core principles of sustainable development, as defined in the Rio Convention of 1992. Best 

practices from the EU include establishing advisory services and promoting cooperation among 

private forest owners, who account for 38.4 percent of all forest area. Overall, the sector is 

characterized by poorly organized management  and control functions, and weak inter-agency 

coordination."  

An article for Forestry Law 

November 2007 -  http://www.worldbank.org/eca/pubs/envint/Volume%20II/English/Review%20KOS-final.pdf

Summary for Environmental Threats and Opportunities Assessment

"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) routinely conducts an 

Environmental Threats and Opportunities Assessment (ETOA) at its Missions at roughly five year 

intervals, corresponding to periodic planning intervals. The US Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) 

stipulates a review of the status of biodiversity conservation prior to the development of a new 

country assistance strategy and to help target and improve US government assistance to populations 

and economies dependent on these resources for their livelihoods. This report presents an update of a 

biodiversity assessment completed in 2003, plus it provides a State of the Environment report that 

emphasizes the water and energy sectors, two areas where USAID/Kosovo is currently engaged in 

several activities." 

USAID - August 2009  http://www.usaid.gov/kosovo/eng/documents/reports/kosovo_etoa.pdf

Ndotje enorme e ambientit në Kosovë

"Nga oxhaqet e termocentralit “Kosova B”, në bazë të analizave që janë bërë më herët nga Instituti “Inkos”, dalin rreth 280 miligramë kub hi, që do të thotë disa herë më shumë se normat e parapara të BE-së. Ndërkaq, jashtë filtrave të oxhaqeve të termocentralit “Kosova A” dalin rreth 1500 miligramë për metër kub.Sylë Tahirsylaj, drejtor i Institutit Hidrometeorologjik të Kosovës, thotë se për kontrollin e cilësisë së ajrit në vend aktualisht i kanë të vendosura 4 stacione, përderisa me ndihmën e Bashkimit Evropian do t’i blejnë edhe 5 të tjerë."

Zeri. (2011, 7 4). Ndotja enorme e ambientit ne Kosove. Retrieved 2 22, 2012, from www.kosovain.eu: http://www.kosovain.eu/?cid=1,40,5695

Investments to reduce KEK emission since 1999

Kosovo since 1999, have spent over 700 million euros for the import of energy and over 1 billion in renovations in plants A and B and we still are facing large reductions in electricity in most of our country .

JICA. (2008). Basic Information Survey for Kosovo. Prishtine: UNDP

Air Pollution from lignite-based electricity generation in Kosovo

This is a presentation based on a survey of Kosovo's Department of Environment. This survey shows the energy sector of Kosovo as an enermous polluter, especially KEK which faces structural problems and efficiency along all stages of value adding. According to this survey, the integrated power system consists of two lignite mines Bardh and Mirash, two Thermal power plans (Kosova A, B). Bardh's and Mirash's mines produce 7 million tons/year of lignite. Two biggest basins are Kosova's lignite basin and Dukagjini's basin lignite. This article shows the biggest problems that KEK face today; old plants with exceeded lifetime, high technical and commercial losses and the third biggest problem is high operational cost. Burning these huge amounts of coal causes emmisions to air. According to this presentation, the most important emissions to air from the combustion of lignite are SO2, NOx, CO2, particulate matter, heavy metal. This presentation is worthy to read.

Hakaj, N. (2006, September 12-15). Air pollution from ligtine-based electricity generation in Kosovo. Retrieved January 12, 2012, from www.unoosa.org: http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/sap/2006/graz/presentations/04-03.pdf

Pollution threatens the citizens of Obiliq

This article, published by the radio “Free Europe”, written by Ariana Kasapolli tells how many people have been having health difficulties due to KEK air pollution, in the Obiliq municipality. According to this article there have been 14 patients diagnosed with cancer within year 2010. In this article, there is the head of the district hospital Ms. Shulemaja, who argues the number of the patients received and diagnosed with cancer, has been increasing over the years. The head of the municipality of Obiliq,Mr Krasniqi,  says that there has been a request sent to the relevant institutions(KEK) to take measures in order to prevent air pollution. Also, we have the response of the spokesperson of KEK saying that, there have been projects implemented in this municipality to improve the environment within the region.

Kasapolli,A.(2011, March 4). Ndotja kercenon banoret e Obiliqit. Radio Evropa e Lire. Retrieved: ( February 16, 2012) from: http://www.evropaelire.org/content/article/3545433.html

Environment and climate change

This article (rapport) written by UNDP, explains how the environmental issues in Kosovo are linked to the issues in human health, although we lack the awareness about its consequences in public places. On the other hand, it is a very important creation to be aware about, since it fulfills the European integration agenda, hence we have to be prepared and achieve the levels of international environmental conventions. Another important issue regarding environment is the Climate Changes which is greatly shifting (scientifically proven fact that was recognized by the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008). Examples and different instructions from other countries are a great benefit for Kosovo to take a lesson, since we know that every human is responsible of this change (and they are being all over the globe), Kosovo is not an exception.

References:  (2010). Environment and climate change. Retrieved from   <http://www.kosovo.undp.org/?cid=2,124>

KEK makes it harder to breath

This article published in Gazeta JnK online magazine shows details and facts about the health conditions of workers at KEK. According to the director of Institute for Medicine of Labour in Obilic, Xhevat Pllana, about 30 percent of workers at KEK suffer from respiratory diseases.

Moreover, while referring to some data gathered from the National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, a representative from the office of World Health Organization in Prishtina says that the incidence of lung cancer in the region of Prishtina and Obilic is pretty higher. There is an indication that one of the reasons for this incidence may be the environmental pollution, which is caused by the use of coal for electricity production.

Moreover, Smajl Mustafa is just one of the many KEK employees that manifested health issues linked to the power plant. According to Mustafa his sickness has emerged not only because of the difficult working conditions in the power plant, but also as a result of the huge lack of basic supplies for protection that are needed in the workplace. 

Reference: 

Selimi, A. (2011, October 28). KEK’u Vështirëson Frymëmarrjen. Gazeta Jeta në Kosovë. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from 
http://gazetajnk.com/?cid=1,978,441

Living under the shadow of death

This article presents some data on health issues affecting citizens of Obilic municipality. Data gathered by the Directorate for Health and Social Welfare in this municipality show that the whole region faces a high rate of respiratory diseases. The number of citizens who sought medical help at the Main Family Medicine Center in Obilic, just for the first six months of 2011, has exceeded the total number of inhabitants of the municipality.

In addition, the article shows that powerplant Kosovo A was labeled as "the worst individual source of pollution in South East Europe.” This note was discovered in a letter shared in May between Stefan Füle, the EU commissioner for enlargement, and Gunther Oettinger, World Bank’s commissioner for Energy.

Reference:

Musliu, J. (2011, September 21). Të Jetosh nën Hijen e Vdekjes. Gazeta Jeta në Kosovë. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from 
http://gazetajnk.com/?cid=1,978,39^^

Air Pollution with Particulate Matter and Heavy Metals of Kosovo Thermal Power Plant

This is an article which briefly explains vital environmental problems that exist in Kosovo. The article written by A.M. Syla,, A. H. Veliu, K Berisha clearly states the problems of air pollution in the surroundings of Power Plants that appeared as early as 1954 when Thermal Power Plant of Kosovo has started operating in Obiliq.Furthemore, it tells us how, the city of Obiliq, approximately 5 km north of Prishtina-capital of Kosovo, is the site that largely contributes to air pollution. Also, the authors state the fact that coal - related industries have been a major element of the economy of Kosovo, but created extensive health risks due to environmental pollution with PM and a variety of other substances.

Specifically, the generation of energy from thermal power plants is correlated with negative effects to the environment since the combustion installations use large amounts of fossil fuels or other natural resources to convert them in useful energy supply. Nevertheless, the combustion process leads to the emission of harmful particles to the air in forms of SO2, NOx, Particulate Matter, heavy metals, and CO2 which are considered as one of the most important environmental concerns nowadays.

A.M.Syla, A.H.Veliu, K.Berisha (2008, May 27-31). Air Pollution with Particulate Matter and Heavy Metals of Kosovo Thermal Power Plant. Retrieved January 12, 2012, from www.balwois.com

http://balwois.com/balwois/administration/full_paper/ffp-972.pdf

Air pollution from lignite- based electricity generation in Kosovo

 In this presentation Ms.Hakaj presents some statistics regarding the environmental pollution from KEK. The presentation shows data about the type of the chemicals released by KEK and the amount of chemicals emitted.

Reference:

Hakaj, N. (2006, September 15). Air pollution from lignite- based electricity generation in Kosovo. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/sap/2006/graz/presentations/04-03.pdf

KEK-u 25 milionë euro për mos ndotjen e ajrit

Accroding to Telegrafi.com, in 2011 the administration of KEK has approved a 25 Million Euros investment in reducing the level of air pollution from KEK

Reference:

KEK-u 25 milionë euro për mos ndotjen e ajrit. (2011, August 26). Telegrafi. Retrieved from http://www.telegrafi.com/ekonomi/kek-u-25-milione-euro-per-mos-ndotjen-e-ajrit-468984.htm

KEK-u është edhe kancerogjen

Ky artikull flet sesi semundjet e frymemarrjes prekin rreth 30 per qind te punetoreve te KEK-ut. Mirepo KEK-u nuk i merr me shqetesim te dhenat e Institutit te Mjekesise se Punes per shkallen e larte te semundjeve. Gjithashtu, ne artikull mund te gjeni te dhena dhe deklarata ne drejtoresha per Qendren e Mjekesise familjare ne Obiliq e cila shprehet mjafte e shqetesuar per shendetin e banoreve sidomos te asaj ane.

Reference:

KOSOVA PRESS (2012, February 26). KOSOVA PRESS. KOSOVA PRESS. Retrieved February 2012, from http://http://www.kosovapress.com/?cid=1,3,143513

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