Pollution Flows in Asopos
Mythologically speaking, the Asopos River is said to
have been born a son of Oceanus and Tethys--or
Poseidon and Pero --or Zeus and Eurynome. There are,
in fact, five rivers of that name, four in Greece and
one in Turkey. All of these rivers have been
historically significant to the populations residing
on their banks; but the one I'm talking about is
possibly the most historically relevant, and currently
the most endangered.
Because death flows in the Asopos River, straight to
the town of Oinofyta.
Death by specific toxins. The river's fish are dead,
and those villages who get their water from the river
will soon be dead or dying. The river runs red-not
just a symbol of death, but literally from the heavy
hexavalent chromium content. The 30,000 residents of
the town of Oinofyta who depend on the river for
drinking water and everything else are trapped by
circumstance; they are suffering, and although the
mayor of that town has declared the water unsafe, they
have no other sources.
Statistics show cancer rates in Oinofyta have risen
from 6% in 1989 to 32% (most current available). The
water's chromium content has tested to be 400,000
times above the permissible maximum.
A number of heavy industry, paint manufacturers and
food manufacturers- at least 85 separate
industries -use the river to dispose of waste. And
even though this past year, six manufacturers were
found guilty of pollution and fined, the rivers still
run with poison.
This is not something we can ignore. The Greek people
should know their own government is turning a blind
eye to this disaster. The whole world should know.
A threefold effort must be put into place:
First, alternative potable water sources must be
secured for those residents who depend on the Asopos.
Second, the pollution must stop.
Third, the polluters must clean up the mess they have
made of the river, AND the poisoned fields whose
cultivation has for centuries depended on that
now-lethal water. For justice to be served, they must
clean up the injuries they caused in people's lives.
I will be accepting the invitation of Oinofyta's mayor
to see this for myself.
Because the crisis of Oinofyta and the Asopos River is
clearly an environmental disaster, I contacted one of
my myspace friends, "Friends of the Earth." They have
been very helpful, and I hope may be working with me
on this, in the name of humanitarian justice. I will
do my best to keep my friends here informed.
Currently, I am the President of the consulting firm, Brockovich Research & Consulting, where I am involved in numerous major environmental cases 
Comments
I admit. I I've never sawed (is this right? 'cause I don't know if this meens to see or to cut something by the middle so the right word might be 'seen') your biopic played by Julia Roberts till a couple of hours. And now is on the interval (commercials in Portugal are no diferent then commercials all around the world).
So I actually don't have much to say other than cheer for your work. I've bookmarked your website and I'll post a text about you in my noiseformind.blogspot.com blog. In english, so U can actually read it (I presume U on't understand portuguese).
Keep up with the good work,
Pedro Maia aka Noiseformind
Posted by: Pedro Maia | August 26, 2007 6:46 PM
Dear Erin
You know that in 2006 the greek goverment (with the local authorities) decided that another 300 industries will have the "privilege" to throw their waste in Asopos; They will form an industry park where they can pollute the river without problems or checks from the state... This decision is under supreme court examination because some local associations reacted. They need all the support we can give them. Great article by the way!
Panos Bouganis
journalist, Athens, Greece
Posted by: Panos Bouganis | September 11, 2007 8:01 AM
Thank u for your interesting about the pollution in Asopos river. We wait for u to come and see by yourself the pollution. We' ve got to prees the Greek Government and check their work continuasly.
Sophia,Athens,Greece
Posted by: Sophia Hronaki | September 30, 2007 2:47 AM
Dear Ms. Brockvich, Many people contacted the U.S. Embassy in Athens to express concern about the Asopos River, including from Friends of the Earth, following your August 25 post. We thought that you and they would be interested to know that the new Greek Minister of Environment Giorgos Souflias just announced a series of measures to protect residents living near the Asopos River, as well as a major probe to determine which companies have contributed to the pollution problem. Like other U.S. Embassies around the world, we regularly discuss environmental issues with the Greek public -- whose consciousness is rising rapidly -- as well as with NGOs and the Greek government. From the U.S. Embassy in Athens, I thank you for your interest in our work and your support for our activities on behalf of the American people. Carol Kalin, Spokesperson
Posted by: Carol Kalin | October 10, 2007 12:51 AM
Thank you Erin for bringing this in the foreground. I hope your voice is loud enough to wake up the Greek State, but mostly, the Greek people, who are so easy to quit their fight against big companies.
Posted by: John Nikas | October 23, 2007 2:53 PM
thank you for beeing so close to our problem. me and my husband have a country house at kalohori pandihi in aulida. We don't drink the water but we still get our olive oil from our olive trees. I believe that this oil is dangerous to us. is that right?
Posted by: Helen | November 4, 2007 9:33 AM
For Helen who has a country house in Kalohori-Pandihi in Aulida. Helen I have a country house in Kalohori also. I would like us to get in touch. Cheers,Ted
MisterTheo@hotmail.com
For everybody: Things are much worst than any government agency is telling us of course. That includes mister Souflias who is resisting tooth and nail the creation of a ministry for the environment independent of him. Environmental activists are the only reliable sourch of information we have.
Posted by: TED THEO | November 18, 2007 9:14 PM
dear erin,
thank you for your interest... i leave in oropos near to oinofuta and i am 17years old....
i am drinking of this water every day and my family too and i really feel stressed about it.
what can i do?? where to go if the problem will continue?? nobody cares what is happening all this time...
Posted by: evita papastefanidi | March 18, 2008 10:12 AM
Erin
Thank you for your interest and support.
My family leaves in one of the affected towns.
Even though almost a year has passed since this was discovered, absolutely nothing has been done so far.
None of these towns has been connected to the main water supply and the factories keep dumping their waste. Also, the actual fines paid by them are less than $10,000 per factory.
Yannis
Posted by: Yannis | June 2, 2008 2:05 PM