GB No. 4, spring 1991
The general opinion on the ecological state of Pomorze and Wielkopolska is wrong. The reason is that by paying most of our attention to extremely polluted and biologically devastated areas we are not interested in those which only a year or two ago were pure and uncontaminated. But such a situation will not exist forever. There are many things to be done and subjects to talk about in the Wielkopolska and Pomorze regions.
I will limit my report to the region of Piła because I have the most current information about it.
The protection of the environment of this region has declined. The pollution of lakes, rivers, and subsoil water is the main problem. This is because the geological structure of the region is conducive to the spread of a wide variety of pollution. This explaination does not excuse the real perpetrators.
In the area close to Piła the subsoil waters are polluted by ammonia, thanks to the Flax Industry Works "Linum". Crude oil products coming from the military airport near Piła go directly to allotments. Locally the petrol can be collected from dripping springs into containers. Pollution is caused by:
Although work on the building of new dumping grounds is continuing, the problem is not yet solved. There is not enough capital for such expenditures.
The problems in Wałcz and its two lakes remain unsolved. Although an ecoflex - biological purification plant, which no longer exists, was established four years ago, Raduń Lake is in a deplorable condition. Purifi-cation plants, construction (eg. Wałcz Dairy), and the rinsing of chemicals freqently damage Wałcz's Lakes. Another problem is caused by sewers from homesteads. All this gives us a gloomy outlook. Stinking paths and embankments; dirty, putrid, standing cesspools of water, and silence only matched by a ghost town. Truly the next investment of ecoflex is worth carrying out and the separation of lakes from all pollutions as well.
The Gwda River, which flows through the Piła, was one of the purest rivers in Poland in 1975. Now it is like a sewer. The current degra- dation of the Gwda was caused by nonpurified communal sewers, 40% of which are pumped from the very center of the town directly into the water, and also by chemical pollutions coming from industrial works, and oil.
Oil - that is the problem. This problem has become widely known recently. Two months ago oily stains appeared in the Gwda River. Oil had appeared previously, and the Center of Investigation and Control of the Environment have confirmed that fact and said that the perpetrator was The Rolling Stock Repair Works of Piła. But they are still unpunished and the oil is still dripping. And it is raising the water level repeatedly.
Some time ago a new suggestion was made: the building of the purification plant, which was started quite a long time ago, could be completed by money collected from the inhabitants. Will this idea work? I do not know. Surveys made in the community of Piła show differening opinions, although it would be good if we decided on a logical solution as soon as possible.
Nowadays we can read in newspaper, "Oil has appeared in the Gwda River". I hope we never have to read, "The Gwda River has appeared in the oil".
Maciej Przybylski
ZB 14-15
translation Aleksandra Krasowska