Last May, residential wells in Elliniko were found to be contaminated with petroleum-based substances at toxic concentrations, up to 3,688 times above legal limits, according to a new investigation by Reporters United and Efimerida ton Syntakton.
Lamda Development, the company leading the Elliniko redevelopment project, had known since 2023 about the extreme pollution at Agios Kosmas beach but never informed residents or the public.
As of 2022, no decontamination had been carried out, neither by the Greek state, nor by Lamda, nor by the U.S. government, which operated a military base in the area, despite the pollution having been documented as early as 2012.
Since cleanup efforts began, Lamda has collected 260 tons of jet fuel from the groundwater.
Since cleanup efforts began, Lamda has collected 260 tons of jet fuel from the groundwater. However, the pollution appears to be worsening, with contamination now being detected beyond the boundaries of the redevelopment site. The company has implicitly blamed both the Greek and U.S. governments for having failed to initiate any decontamination procedures, despite the site having been used for decades as an airport and military installation.
None of the successive governments that managed the privatization of Elliniko, Samaras, Tsipras, or Mitsotakis, required Lamda to complete decontamination before starting construction, despite this being standard practice elsewhere. In fact, in 2023, the official website of the Prime Minister falsely claimed that water decontamination in Elliniko would be completed within two months.
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