Is it safe to walk with children in the Skanstes park, which was grandly opened before the last elections by former mayor Kirsis? Such a question arose in the Duma. "The situation there is complicated," admitted the current mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs.
Setting aside other matters, the mayor convened an extraordinary meeting to approve the dismissal of important official Ilze Purmale, who has worked in local government for a couple of decades. In October, a service check was initiated regarding her responsibility for the fact that a huge amount of soil was "extracted" in the Skanstes park, which has become a dead weight for the city.
LETA
"This is a political project by Inese Andersone, 23 million, of which Europe only funded 10%," said deputy R. Bremanis about the Skanstes park. For reference: in the previous term, I. Andersone headed the Committee for Urban Development.
According to a document sent to the deputies of the Duma, in 2020, 28,900 cubic meters of soil were removed from the site of the future green zone. The work was carried out by the consortium RR-Eko, consisting of Riga rent LLC, Eko osta, and Baltijas būve. This soil was found to be contaminated with petroleum products exceeding 0.5 g per 1 kg.
Then followed a heap of financial and legal nuances, which were described in 20 (!) pages, and one can see for themselves the long-overgrown, man-made hills near Skanstes street.
Ms. Purmale herself took to the podium and reported that the Development Department paid the builders, and thus, the soil is the property of the mentioned enterprise. The officials acted – professionally and honestly!
– I have considered my work a mission for many years, – said the director. – Responsibility and justice are the most important values in my life.
Well, to put it bluntly, Ms. Purmale has not served the city solely on ideological fuel all these years – in 2024, for example, the local government paid her 80,828.91 euros.
Another 48 pages were added by the local government describing the analyses at the site of the new park. They took 34 samples and sent them to an accredited laboratory in… the Czech Republic (apparently, there were no closer options, or they do not trust local scientists?) As a result, elevated levels of arsenic, copper, and lead were found in one drilled well. So it is assumed that these traces of the periodic table are present in at least 46,782 tons of soil.
The cost of their disposal is estimated to range from 5.6 to 8.4 million euros. And, as a cherry on top – all this soil is stored on land owned by the notoriously infamous insolvency administrator Maris Sprudsu! Yes, that’s how whimsically the deck is shuffled in our town…
The commission investigating Purmale's activities was led by Deputy Executive Director Maris Knox. He unequivocally placed all responsibility on her, and in such vigorous terms that even the deputy from "New Unity" Edgars Ikstens recommended – it would be good to maintain a business style…
– The playground is not contaminated, – reassured M. Knox.
As a result, with 34 votes in favor, Ms. Purmale was – dismissed! But the contaminated piles remain.
