About the campaign
In 2002 Polish government decided to remove and utilize all hazard asbestos products and materials from Polish territory. Finale date: 2032. To achieve that goal National Programme of Asbestos Removal has been set, which has obligated all municipalities in Poland (2479) to set their own local programmes. Within this programme effectiveness of asbestos removal should be enough high, unfortunately currently it is not. During last 10 years Poland has removed only about 10% of dangerous asbestos products. It is estimated that between 2012 and 2032 over 13.000.000 tones of asbestos still should be utilized in Poland. That means the dynamic of current public administration activities in area of asbestos removal is too small and unsatisfied. In 2012 we can still find 40 – 45 % municipalities which has not set their own local programmes for asbestos removal. Many municipalities have also problems in right using and fulfilling this programmes which negatively influences effectiveness of asbestos removal in local area as well as whole country.
This is why “Antiasbestos campaign” has started. It is continuation of previous activities in area of asbestos problem conducted by Green Federation GAJA between years 2008 and 2010. This time project runs thanks to European Commission LIFE+ programme and National Fund for Environment Protection and Water Management in Poland.
The project aim is to help public authorities to achieve National Programme of Asbestos Removal goal. Within the project Green Federation GAJA wants to supports municipalities in different aspects of asbestos removal: setting local programs, looking for financial sources and smart using of available fundings, promotion of good practices between authorities, property owners, property managers and building teams, motivating property owners and property managers to utilize hazardous asbestos products, rising of general asbestos removal tempo in Poland.
It is also very important to promote loan solutions for property owners who want to remove asbestos roofs but they don’t have enough money to put new roof instead. Attractive low cost loan should help people to make right decision. Green Federation GAJA is going to start negotiations with banks as well as Regional Funds of Environment Protection and Water Management to make this kind of loans available in all regions in Poland. In result higher number of asbestos products will be removed.
Furthermore within the project Green Federation GAJA will conduct educational and information activity. 96 professional free of charge seminars will be held in all 16 regions. All to provide relevant knowledge and ideas of good practices in area of asbestos removal and utilization to municipalities representatives, property owners and property managers. Experts from Ministry of Economy, banks, as well as lawyers and representatives of companies which work with asbestos will share with their experience and advices to all participants. Free educational materials (especially brochures, educational movies, leaflets) will be distributed between them. Free materials will be also shared by the help of all municipalities between other people who posses asbestos products on their properties.
Within the project Green Federation GAJA will ensure free of charge law assistance and advice for people, municipalities and companies interested in asbestos removal. Help will be provided by phone, email or directly in Green Federation GAJA office.
All aspects related to dynamics of asbestos utilization, setting new local programs of asbestos removal as well as basic and detailed data about asbestos stocking in Poland will be gathered from municipalities by Green Federation GAJA due to its monitoring activities, and presented in special reports each year (2012-2014). The reports will become important tool in overall, national removing of asbestos.
The project is finansed by National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management as well as LIFE+ EU financial instrument. Project is partly co-finansed by Ministry of Economy.
