Court raps Greece for island landfill

The European Court of Justice has condemned Greece for violating waste management laws while also degrading the natural habitat of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) on the Ionian island of Zakynthos.

The court rapped Greek authorities for failing to relocate an overflowing landfill from the grounds of a national marine park in Laganas Bay, on the island’s southwestern coast, which is a key breeding ground for the turtles. The landfill is “dysfunctional” and does not fulfill European waste management standards, the ruling noted. A waste management plan drafted in 2005 foresaw the creation of a new landfill in another spot on Zakynthos but no environmental impact surveys were carried out and the project stalled.