İSTAÇ, a subsidiary of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), has put an end to the practice of transporting excess waste leachate from the facility in Şile to other treatment facilities with land tankers for approximately 25 years. The capacity of Şile Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant was increased from 2.000 m3/day to 4.000 m3/day. The opening of the Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant in Şile Karakiraz District, which was completed in a record time of 11 months, was held by the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Ekrem İmamoğlu and CHP Şile Mayor candidate Özgür Kabadayı. At the opening ceremony, İmamoğlu and İSTAÇ General Manager Ziya Gökmen Togay made speeches. Sharing the details of the construction process of the facility in his speech, İmamoğlu said, “The garbage leachate issue here is an important issue. Its impact is not only here, not only in the immediate surroundings of this place, but - you may ask, what does it have to do with it - there is an environmental impact that extends all the way to Tuzla. And the fact that this garbage leachate issue is resolved both in Silivri and here, resulting in the steps taken in our period, is an issue really worth thinking about. "In other words, the management approach that does not think about the garbage leachate issue, which has such a significant environmental impact, or does not take quick steps towards it, is actually a sense of neglect of its duty," he said.
“WE SEE THAT WE CANNOT FIND A MANAGER AFTER THE ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER”
Emphasizing that governments that have lost environmental awareness cause very painful losses that will last for generations, İmamoğlu said:
“On this occasion, we also see that we see this all over our country and that, unfortunately, if we look closely after environmental disasters, we cannot find a responsible manager. It's a very sad situation. Especially the management approach that does not value people and nature and does not take into account the warnings of experts brings death and disaster. Those who see nature as a source of income for themselves are only interested in flashy projects, especially projects that generate profit. They only take into account post-election processes. 'Let's win the election. What do those who say 'after winning the election, let's go about our business' do? They are actually destroying our future. I am emotionally touched by the tearful people in the field sharing the issue in Erzincan İliç with me lately. Our people are so valuable; Sometimes you encounter people with sensitivity you cannot predict, at points you could not have predicted. For example; I understand this from the fact that 4-5 aunties asked about İliç with moist eyes in the street market in Esenler yesterday. Or a few days ago in Bağcılar or Beykoz, people from different geographies.”
“THOSE WHO ACT AS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AND DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT…”
Drawing attention to the sensitivity of mothers in this sense, İmamoğlu said, “Those who are the first to feel the troubles, fears and concerns of the future; women, mothers. The way they expressed this with their tears in their eyes made me feel deeply saddened as a manager. Those who act as if nothing happened and do not take responsibility for it, those who do not speak openly about this process and disappear, those who only threaten the voters about the election process, in the name of the rights and law of our mothers with tears in their eyes, will receive the answer and lesson they deserve from our nation at this ballot box. I think. I think our nation is looking forward to March 31st in this sense. I would like to express this from here: We have never been one of them, we are not one of them and we will not be one. Istanbul has been managed with a very high environmental sensitivity since 2019. We strengthened Istanbul against environmental disasters by allocating a budget of 945 million dollars for environmental investments; We continue to strengthen. We opened Europe's largest waste incineration and energy production facility. "And especially with the 4 newly opened facilities, we have tripled Istanbul's waste-to-electricity production capacity in just 3 years," he said.
“AS OUR CITIZENS WHO LISTEN TO US WILL NOT BE SURPRISED…”
"We have completed every stage of such a useful facility, which has the same capacity as the waste incineration facility we opened on the European side, and which will burn 1 million tons of garbage annually, have the capacity to produce 85 megawatts of electricity, and reduce 1,5 million tons of carbon emissions," said İmamoğlu. As our citizens listening to us will not be surprised, this project, which was waiting to be included in our country's investment plan, was not included in the 2024 investment plan. In other words, the failure to include in the investment plan a facility that is ready for tender, for which we aim not to create a pile of garbage in Istanbul, but to quickly start and complete the facility to produce energy from garbage, for which we have prepared the loan, you see, just as they disappeared when the environmental disaster occurred just now, Ekrem İmamoğluWhen something useful comes from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality or the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality administration, they disappear again. The ballot box lesson I just mentioned will shake them so much that they will have to sign them for the sake of their nation. They will both receive the response to the threat and will have to do what they need to do as a government for the benefit of the nation and the country in their remaining time. "That's why everyone's vote is very valuable," he said.
"SOME ASK A LOT, 'WHAT DID IMAMOGLU DO?'..."
“I would like to remind you of a few environmental projects we have implemented during this period,” said İmamoğlu, adding, “Seymen Waste Water Treatment Plant. Bottom Sludge Dredging and Dewatering Facility in the Golden Horn. Biomethanization Facility that produces energy and compost from organic waste collected separately at the source. Yenikapı Biological Treatment Facility. Beykoz Riva Advanced Biological Purification Water Treatment Plant. Baltalimanı Biological Treatment Facility. Başakşehir Solid Waste Transfer Station. Eyüpsultan Hasdal Solid Waste Transfer Station. And today, we are opening the Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant together with you.” “Some people ask a lot, 'What did İmamoğlu do?' “They try to ignore what we do,” said İmamoğlu, adding: “My advice to them is; If they just sit down and count the projects we have implemented, you will see that even the people who make such claims will be upset about what they say - if they have a conscience. Let them look at them, let them appear before us like that. We have accomplished great things in such a short time, more than ever before in the history of Istanbul. "I frankly consider it important data to compare what we have done in the last 5 years with the past 20-25 years," he said.
“WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY INVESTMENT THAT WILL HARM THE ENVIRONMENT”
“Of course, I would like to express that what we do not do is as important as what we do,” İmamoğlu continued his speech with the following words:
“Because we have not made any investments that would harm the environment in this period of nearly 5 years. We have not undertaken any work that was not approved by scientists, experts and the public. The things we do to protect the environment are truly countless. The difference between us; It is the difference between those who value people, nature, the city and their homeland, and those who value nothing but money. Those who understand that they cannot compete with our pace of action are trying to belittle our so-called projects by saying 'Imamoğlu is completing the projects we started' in order to minimize what we do. Of course, there are projects we have completed. We will complete it. There is nothing strange about this. But I wonder at what stage did we take on the projects they started? Or how did we finish those projects? At what stage did the projects stop and why? They are silent about this aspect of the matter. For example; The Silivri Seymen Garbage Leakage Treatment Water Plant project, which we opened last year, was a project that was started in the previous period. According to the contract, it was a project that had to be completed within 32 months. But do you know how much work had been done when we took office, even though half of the contract period was over? “1 percent was done.”
“THEY MADE LOTS OF TENDERS QUICKLY, WITHOUT QUESTIONS, WITHOUT QUESTIONS, SOMETIMES IRREGALLY, SOMETIMES WITH LACKS”
Reminding that they took many projects that the ruling wing said "We started" with very low progress percentages, İmamoğlu said, "Saying 'I did 3, 4 percent' means putting a container there or setting up the construction site." Yes, they did this: They made lots of tenders quickly, without question, sometimes irregularly, sometimes with deficiencies. This is true. But we didn't do that. We do not conduct tenders in this way. I would just like to state that 50 percent of the time has passed and 1 percent of the work has been completed, which is a situation we have seen completely in the projects left to us from the previous period we took over. Believe me, it is the same in the subway and in infrastructure investments. Do you know why? Because for them, the extension of the project is good. The longer it lasts, the more new and some gains are provided to some people. This is how they go about their business. And unfortunately, because they look at every job in this way, they are a little more sensitive to profit and money. We, on the other hand, are sensitive to our people and the environment. That's the difference between us. They consider everything to be enough just by respecting one person; We, on the other hand, are sensitive about respecting our great nation. "The Şile Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant, which we opened today, is a valuable result of our sensitivity to people and the environment," he said.
“NEITHER THAT PERSON NOR THE OTHERS CAN GO TO THE MARKETS, BUT WE CANNOT LEAVE THE MARKET”
Stating that he visited construction sites and opened openings shortly before the elections, and met with citizens in the streets and markets, İmamoğlu said:
“Neither that person nor the others can go to the markets, but we do not leave the markets. We meet with our citizens and hold them accountable. We also listen to your suggestions. As a demonstration of our transparency, we have courageous meetings with them. But do you know what's best? I visit construction sites every day. I proudly tour several visible and invisible construction sites. We hold an opening almost every day; I agree or disagree. And as we head towards the election. This is an amazing thing. And just yesterday, we talked about the 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 5-year budget of this city. We talked about our designs and investments in terms of budget. We, on the other hand, took over the process from an administration that was worried about 'Let's distribute the money to those we want as soon as possible' out of fear that we would lose the election, by depositing the money into the account 2019 days before the 23 June elections, and depositing the money that was supposed to arrive at the end of that month. We are a public institution. We are public, we are a populist municipality. We are people who think about their people and know that their people govern our institution. “We will never give up on this morality.”
“NOT THE ONE WHO SAYS TO HIS TEAMMATES, 'FULFILL MY ORDER'..."
Saying, “Every day should be spent with election excitement,” İmamoğlu concluded his speech with the following words:
“I advise every friend of mine, every person who loves us, to choose the most truthful, the best, the most honest, the most transparent, the most successful, the most skillful, the most hardworking, together with their team. Not one who imposes limits on his nation, not one who gives instructions to his nation, not one who tells his teammates, 'Follow my orders'... Choose people who know how to work together with their teammates and common sense. I would like to express that I find it very important that you elect people who know that they are responsible for their nation, not for one person. In this context, we, as the representatives of the Istanbul Alliance and every person living in this city, are up to the task. And in this sense, just as a political party, I do not call members of my party to duty. Of course we will run with them. But I invite all the people of Istanbul to be a volunteer of this process, to produce work together, to work together. No one should doubt that we will succeed together. Because we think about the children, youth, women and future of this city. We think about the environment, nature, sea, air and water of this city. We believe in the history and heritage of this city and its values that should be entrusted to the future; We understand the spirituality of this city; We believe in the beliefs of this city; We think about every person and every ethnic origin of this city. In this regard, I want you to know that we are walking a powerful journey. Of course, with the appreciation of our people, we will carry Istanbul to a beautiful and happy future with faster and stronger steps. We will walk together, expanding our goals, for all of us. We will walk without breaking our unity, saying 'Full speed ahead'. "May we be on our way."
İSTAÇ General Manager Togay shared the following information in summary:
“Today, we are proud to have completed a treatment leachate facility with the largest capacity in Turkey and Europe, and the second largest in the world, in a record time of 11 months. Garbage leachate from waste disposal is 55 times more toxic than normal domestic wastewater. Therefore, it is of great importance to purify this water in a timely and appropriate manner without harming the environment. In 2019, Istanbul's actual garbage leachate treatment capacity was 4.000 thousand cubic meters. With the facility we put into service today, this figure has tripled, reaching 3 thousand cubic meters. This capacity will meet Istanbul's needs in this regard until 12. Today, 2050 thousand tons of domestic waste is generated every day in Istanbul. And we recycle 18 tons of it with high value-added technologies and convert it into electricity and energy. “We dispose of the rest in an environmentally friendly manner in our two storage areas in Europe and Asia.”
After the speeches, the ribbon was cut and the facility officially entered the service of Istanbul. İmamoğlu and his accompanying delegation inspected the facility after the opening.
ŞİLE WILL FIX TUZLA'S ODOR PROBLEM
İSTAÇ A.Ş., a subsidiary of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, laid the foundation of the Şile Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant on March 29, 2023. The facility, built on an area of 31 square meters, which will eliminate the chronic odor problem in Tuzla, was completed in 11 months. The facility works with the Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) + Nano Filtration (NF) process; It will purify the garbage leachate, which has a high pollution load, resulting from the storage of domestic waste. It was calculated that a total of 7 thousand tons of domestic waste is generated daily in Istanbul, 12 thousand tons on the Anatolian side and 19 thousand tons on the European side. The current treatment plant was commissioned in 2009 with a capacity of 1.200 m3/day. By increasing the capacity in 2012 and 2019, the facility capacity was increased to 1.700 and 2.000 m3/day. With the new facility, which was commissioned in a record time of 11 months, the daily treatment capacity was increased to 4.000 m3/day.
EXCESS CAPACITY WASTE LEAKAGE WAS BEING TRANSPORTED TO OTHER FACILITIES WITH LAND TANKERS FOR 25 YEARS
In the facility, treatment will be carried out in accordance with the "Receiving Environment" discharge standards using "Advanced Membrane Technology". Kömürcüoda Garbage Leachate Treatment Plant, together with the Seymen Leachate Treatment Plant in Silivri, will serve as the largest garbage leachate treatment facility in Turkey and Europe. In the current situation, excess leachate generated in the field has been transported to other treatment facilities by land tankers for approximately 25 years in order to avoid causing any environmental risks. With this facility, in addition to economic savings, on-site solutions will also be provided.