U.S. Ambassador Calls For Stopping Building Homes Near Gerdec

TIRANA, Aug 3 – Albanian Defense Minister Gazmend Oketa and John L. Withers, U.S. Ambassador in Albania, last week visited the Gerdec explosion site.
On March 15, an ammunition disposal factory exploded killing 26 persons and injuring 300 others. Some 5,500 houses were destroyed or seriously damaged by the explosion.
Withers began the visit with an emotional speech remembering the lost lives and also thanked the minister for his dedication and cooperation.
The U.S. has offered its assistance in cleaning up the site.
After five months, there is still an enormous amount of work to be done, he said. The ambassador said that a considerable number of unexploded shells have been gathered, but they have not been removed to a site that meets proper NATO standards, where the cleaning and the ultimate demilitarization of these weapons can take place.
“I think that it is a matter of both importance and urgency that we move forward efficiently, and with as much speed as we can, to take those necessary next steps,” he said.
When talking with local residents at Gerdec, the ambassador urged them to stop building their new homes until the site was totally clean.
The residents asked Withers if he could guarantee they would be safe at the area, and his answer was, “I, unfortunately, cannot assure your safety.” “My opinion is that this site here has not been made safe yet. I think that you are building too close to materials that are still very dangerous.”
“All I can tell you now is that I think it is too early to be rebuilding here. But that is just my opinion. You need to ask people who are more expert than me.”
“I believe that they still do have environmental concerns.”
The ambassador refused to answer reporters’ questions about the continuing investigation on the case (He and his embassy staff are also being investigated by the Congress and the State Department), but could not cut short what local residents asked for.
“We are working very hard to find justice for you. And we will work with the Minister, with everybody,” he said.
Some 50 military troops, in cooperation with the U.S. ARMOR-GROUP, are working to clean the site. Until now, they have cleared 2,100 square meters out of seven hectares of contaminated land from the explosion.
They have also collected 10,600 shells.
Following the visit, some thousands of tons of shells were moved from the site.
Shkelzen Mhillaj, a soldier working at the site, said the shells are not very dangerous but assured the local residents they would be safe.
The military said they would need at least one year to clean some seven square hectares. He said they would check the area, up to 50 meters deep, to see whether the land is contaminated.