Hungarian town to hold referendum on straw burner

The Békés County town of Medgyesegyháza will hold a referendum about one of three straw burning power stations planned to be built in the South Alföld region on February 3. The plan received heavy criticism from a local non-profit organization, which went on to collect enough signatures needed to hold the referendum, writes Magyar Nemzet, based on a report in Észak-Magyarország.

Mihály Halász, chairman of the Association for a Liveable Medgyesegyháza (Élhető Medgyesegyházáért Egyesület), said that 90 percent of families in the area live from melon cultivation, and they are concerned that the straw burning power station may effect crops. The increasing traffic would burden the environment, and there is no guarantee the system will not begin to burn garbage if straw supplies run low, Mihály added.

The local government supports plans for the power station.

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