The people of Elbistan say 'No' to the Thermal Power Plant; the positive EIA decision has experts up in arms: 'While the earthquake rubble is still on the ground, we are now worried about the air we breathe'

40 YEARS IN THE SHADOW OF COAL

The local people, who have lived in the shadow of coal in Kahramanmaraş for 40 years, state that the Afşin-Elbistan A and B Power Plants already have 8 units and create a massive pollution load with a total capacity of 2795 MW.

However, it is planned to add 2 more units with a total capacity of 688 MW to the Afşin-Elbistan A Thermal Power Plant.

On December 27, 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change issued a "Positive EIA" decision for these additional units, which are the size of a new thermal power plant.

'WHILE THE EARTHQUAKE RUBBLE IS STILL ON THE GROUND, WE ARE NOW WORRIED ABOUT THE AIR WE BREATHE'

Reactions against the coal-fired thermal power plant project in Afşin-Elbistan are growing. Local governments, environmental organizations, and the local population point out that the region cannot handle any more pollution.

Elbistan Mayor Erkan Gürbüz, who is in constant communication and solidarity with his people during the thermal power plant protest, expressed his thoughts on the matter: "While Elbistan is trying to get back on its feet after the earthquake, we are also struggling against power plants that harm our air, our water, and all living things.

We have filed our lawsuit together with the Nurhak and Ekinözü Municipalities against the 2 units for which the Ministry issued a 'Positive EIA' decision. We will carry out our struggle here both legally and with the public.

We hope that when we leave Elbistan to our children years from now, it will not be a process won by capital owners who pollute the environment, but a process won by the people of Elbistan."

Mehmet Dalkanat, one of the citizens who has been engaged in agricultural activities in the region for 40 years, also expressed his reaction to the construction of the plant with these words: "We are plaintiffs against these power plants that have finished off our agriculture and taken away our health for 40 years. There is not a single bunch of grapes left in our region, nor is there any livestock farming. Doctors now recognize those who live here by their lungs.

We did not let them build the Afşin C plant that they wanted to establish here; the expert committee did not see any public interest here. We will not let them build these additional units either. Our region cannot handle another power plant. They say it will be new technology and it will be clean; there is no such thing as a clean coal-fired thermal power plant on earth.

We want to leave our grandchildren fertile plains as an inheritance, not coal dust."

Dalkanat is just one of the local people who filed a lawsuit against the positive EIA decision.

EXPERTS EXAMINING THE REGION: 'THE PUBLIC AND NATURE ARE IN DANGER'

The statement made by the Turkish Medical Association regarding the new units planned to be established in the region revealed the gravity of the situation.

Regarding the examinations conducted in the region, they reacted with the following words: "Studies conducted to date have shown that thermal power plants that produce electricity by burning coal, especially those using lignite, are among the industrial facilities that cause the most pollution in receiving environments (air, water, soil). These facilities pollute receiving environments through chimney emissions and the dams where the ash they produce is stored."

CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DISEASES IN THE LOCAL POPULATION

The statement, which noted that approximately 8 million people die every year due to air pollution, mostly in developing countries, pointed out that air pollution was included among Group I carcinogens by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2013.

Experts stated that air pollution leads to cancer, as well as impaired tissue nutrition, heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, respiratory infections, reduced body immunity, depression, sleep disorders, and reproductive system problems in men and women, and noted that it can also cause serious diseases in children such as autism, type 1 diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Furthermore, pointing out that coal-fired thermal power plants contribute to the climate crisis with the carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides they release into the atmosphere, the experts raised the possibility that if the additional units in question are built, the diseases and deaths occurring in the region could double.

The TEMA Foundation, which made assessments regarding environmental health, stated that the agricultural land in the region would become unproductive and dry over time, and that irrigation areas near the power plant would also dry up over time. They pointed out that this situation could leave the local people facing a potential food crisis.

In addition, officials stating that the groundwater wealth in the Ceyhan Basin would be spent for the thermal power plant with the project, expressed that the planned additional units carry the risk of leaving the local people without water.

ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES GROWING IN THE REGION ARE IN DANGER

The Binboğa Mountains, which are an Important Plant Area (IPA), are located approximately 14 km from the project site. IPAs contain sensitive and unique natural areas.

The Binboğa Mountains are also home to a rich variety of plants and endemic plant species and must be protected. "We will continue to defend nature and life against the additional units of the Afşin-Elbistan A Thermal Power Plant," said the officials, stating that the power plant units would destroy the natural structure of the region.

Greenpeace Turkey officials also made valuable statements on the subject.

The experts said:

"The additional units planned to be built at the Afşin-Elbistan A Thermal Power Plant will further increase the pollution load of the region. As a result of a long legal struggle we carried out together with the local people, we had obtained the emission data belonging to the existing thermal power plant.

These data, which we reached for the first time, reveal the damage the thermal power plant causes to the region. The average values of Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, and Dust measured at the power plant, where two more new units are planned to be built, exceed the regulatory limits by 1.5 to 8 times.

'ELBİSTAN DOES NOT NEED A NEW THERMAL POWER PLANT'

Despite these data that clearly reveal the problems of the existing filtration system, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change issued a "Positive EIA" report for the construction of two new additional units at the Afşin-Elbistan A Thermal Power Plant.

The EIA report, prepared by ignoring the destruction caused by thermal power plants, is problematic in many respects. One of the biggest problems is that it has not made a sufficient assessment regarding the total pollution load that will occur with the planned units and the two existing thermal power plants.

We have filed our lawsuit for the cancellation of the EIA report together with the local residents who feel the negative effects of the thermal power plant in their lives. We will follow this process until the end. There is no room for a new thermal power plant in Afşin-Elbistan."

The local people stated that they would not give up their lawsuits against the additional units planned to be placed at the Afşin-Elbistan Thermal Power Plant.