Hungary moves to seize company connected to red sludge spill

[bloomington-lib]

Source: CSM



A week after a deadly torrent of caustic red sludge spilled from an alumina refinery and swept through several Hungarian villages, the Hungarian government's hands-on approach to the cleanup has won it some praise from locals and international experts. But its move to seize control of the company blamed for the disaster may be a step too far.


The Hungarian parliament passed a bill Monday to allow Prime Minister Viktor Orban's rightist government to take control of the assets of MAL, the aluminum company that owns the compromised reservoir.

The decision to take over the company, which may prove unconstitutional, comes as Hungary is investigating the cause of the spill and whether MAL, which has a 12 percent market share in Europe of alumina production and 4 percent globally, should be held accountable. Hungarian police said Tuesday they were examining an aerial photo taken months before the spill that shows a faint red trail trickling through the wall of the refinery's reservoir.

A police statement issued Tuesday suggested that Bakonyi was guilty of negligence, saying he did not prepare an emergency warning and rescue plan that could be implemented in case of an incident like the sludge spill.

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/1012/Hungary-moves-to-seize-company-connected-to-red-sludge-spill

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

We should seize the banks here.

- And for the same reasons: pollution.