Illegal waste disposal in Hungary

Environmental activists and experts in Hungary are reporting systemic illegal waste disposal activities that are causing significant ecological damage. In the Vértes region, near Pusztavám and Oroszlány, approximately 45,000 tons of potentially hazardous waste is being used to fill a former brown coal mine that had regenerated into a wetland. László Lóránt Keresztes, vice president of the Vízválasztó Mozgalom, has documented 15 suspicious sites and alleges that a “mafia-like organization” is responsible for bringing illegal waste of Italian origin into the country.

Similar unauthorized activities have been observed near the border of Páty and Biatorbágy, where construction debris, recycled rubber, and a mysterious white powder are accumulating at a former municipal landfill. Local authorities have been unable to identify the operator of the site, and no valid waste management permits have been located. While police are investigating the environmental damage, activists continue to criticize the lack of transparency regarding these operations.