Districts of Afşin and Elbistan in Maraş, southeastern Turkey, are once again embroiled in a battle against thermal power plants. Now, there are plans for a substantial capacity increase of 688 MW at a thermal power plant in Afşin without conducting an environmental impact assessment.
The Afşin-Elbistan Life and Nature Protection Platform organized a panel to inform the public about the situation, featuring speakers such as Elbistan Deputy Mayor Gülabi Eren and representatives from various civil society organizations and political parties.
The panel discussed the economic, political, and legal aspects of the coal-fired power plants' expansion plans, emphasizing the adverse effects on the health of local residents and the environment. Currently, the Afşin A and Afşin B thermal power plants each operate four units, with plans underway to construct two additional units.
According to environmental organizations, coal-fired plants in Afşin and Elbistan have been linked to thousands of premature deaths since their inception four decades ago. It is estimated that even with the most advanced filters, the proposed new units could lead to an additional 1,900 premature deaths.
Greenpeace: Coal-Fired Power Plants Caused 17 Thousand Premature Deaths in Afşin
Representatives from the Afşin-Elbistan Life and Nature Protection Platform, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB/UCTEA), the Right to Clean Air Platform, the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion (TEMA), the 350 Climate Movement, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Turkey) were present at the event.
Environmental investments not enforced
Deputy Mayor Eren, in his speech, equated the addition of new units to building a new power plant, emphasizing that the municipality does not want another thermal power plant.
Deniz Gümüşel, coordinator of the Right to Clean Air Platform, pointed out the health risks associated with air pollution from thermal power plants, including respiratory diseases, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, and lung cancer. Gümüşel noted that the Afşin Elbistan A plant, operational since 1984, has caused 16,500 premature deaths and has been linked to over 9,000 cases of preterm birth, affecting lung function, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in newborns.
Environmental policy expert Kübra Ayçiçek emphasized that the region's thermal power plants have operated for years without the environmental investments necessitated by law. “The Thermal Power Plant A, due to its construction date, was entirely exempt from environmental impact assessment processes. Our data shows that, for economic, ecological, and social reasons, the region cannot sustain another thermal power plant.” (EMK/VK)