The long-anticipated environmental restoration of the inactive Kirki mine in Alexandroupoli is now entering its implementation phase — a crucial step toward addressing one of the region’s most significant cases of industrial environmental degradation.
The Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (EAGME), which will play a decisive role in the rehabilitation of the “Agios Philippos” mine and the ore processing plant, carried out a site inspection and preliminary assessment at the Kirki mine area a few days ago, together with representatives of all institutions involved in the project’s execution.
This marks the first practical action following the recent decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Thodoros Skylakakis, which officially restarts the restoration of the state-owned inactive Kirki mine in Alexandroupoli. The project is financed through the “Environment and Climate Change” Programme (PEKA 2021–2027) with co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF).
According to the ministerial decision, the project’s implementing bodies include EAGME, the Environmental Damage Response Coordination Office (SYGAPEZ) of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA).
During the on-site visit, the team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current conditions across all areas of the site. The inspection revealed the scale of both the existing and ongoing environmental pollution, highlighting the urgent need for immediate mitigation measures.
The field mission to the Kirki State Mine included representatives from all the implementing bodies involved in the restoration effort:
- Nikolaos Mamalougas, Charalampos Syropoulos, Vasilis Stoilopoulos, and Evdokimos Kokkinakis (Managing Authority of PEKA & POLPRO)
- Sonia Theodoridou and Stavroula Pouli (SYGAPEZ / Ministry of Environment & Energy)
- Anna Konstantinidou, Vasilis Ilias, Sylvia Zakkak, and Kostas Koumpis (OFYPEKA)
- Dr. Alexandros Liakopoulos, Vasilis Arvanitidis, and Anastasios Kyrmizopoulos (EAGME)
The visit concluded with an extensive and constructive discussion, during which Dr. Alexandros Liakopoulos, Head of EAGME’s Department of Geochemistry and Environment, presented a summary of previous measurements and outlined the main proposed intervention priorities for each section of the site.