Local authorities in close to 1000 destinations across Poland are ‘unlawfully’ collecting surcharges for healthy air, when in fact pollution exceeds accepted limits, it has been claimed.
According to ClientEarth, an international organization of lawyers focused on the environment, the air in popular resorts such as Zakopane and Szklarska Poreba is more polluted than in Warsaw.
Nevertheless, as the daily Gazeta Wyborcza has noted, hotels and pensions in these resorts are obliged to collect ‘climate surcharges’ that are channelled back to local authorities.
The paper calculates that a family of four would pay a surcharge of about PLN 60 (EUR 14.2) for a week’s stay in a health resort.
Although these charges are supposed to be directed towards keeping the air clean, local authorities are failing to keep pollution levels below accepted limits.
Tourists in destinations such as highland resort Zakopane are actually breathing in a ”carcinogenic cocktail” of particulate matter (PM).
When questioned by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, local authorities argued that if the surcharges were dropped, the air would be even worse.
ClientEarth created its report using data provided by provincial environmental inspectorates.
The organisation found that air met acceptable health standards in such destinations as the Tri-City on the Baltic coast, as well as the Warmia and Mazuria region.
