Urkullu makes self-criticism for not measuring the social impact of the accident

The lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, has made "self-criticism" for his reaction to the collapse of the Zaldibar landfill (Bizkaia), where two workers have been buried since last February 6, and explained that he did not go to this town in the first days because he considered it as an accident of a private company and did not want to have "grievances" with other precedents also with deceased.

"Perhaps I did not measure the social and emotional impact of the magnitude" of this detachment, he said in an interview published by the newspaper Deia this Sunday, in which he also states that this "crisis" has meant the "worst emotional moment" of all Your mandate

He also makes self-criticism because "the construction of a story from the first moment has been lacking" and because "perhaps too many days have passed" until he appeared together with several Government advisers before the Permanent Delegation to give explanations of what happened.

Urkullu expresses the Basque Government's commitment to continue the search for the two workers and has maintained that "perhaps" the recommendations made to the residents of the area affected by the landslide, such as not ventilating the houses or exercising outdoors, " they were excessive in risk prevention, but we acted on the basis of expert opinion. "

Given the allegations of negligence to the Executive for not having detected in time the situation in which the landfill was, the lehendakari has indicated that an audit will be carried out "to see if the control mechanisms were sufficient and have been applied correctly."

It will also be analyzed if the company, Verter Recycling, "has managed this situation with guarantees and if the information that has been sent to the Administration is correct or not. We will analyze everything."

On the possibility of reinforcing the "public protection" of landfills, Urkullu recalled that 24% of Basque GDP comes from the industry and that the industry generates waste, so "we will have to think about a waste management policy. We will have to see, in the future, the realities of other countries, "he said.