Representatives of the John Nurminen Foundation met with Andrzej Jagusiewicz, Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection at Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection of Poland on June 18th and the Polish Ambassador to Finland H.E. Janusz Niesyto on June 20th, 2013. In the meetings, the phosphogypsum stacks in Gdansk and Police were discussed, and also the findings of the assessment that the Foundation had commissioned with Pöyry.

The Foundation had commissioned the report because the phosphorus discharges revealed in Kingisepp a year ago had raised concerns about potential discharges of similar phosphogypsym stack in the catchment area of the Baltic Sea. For this reason, it was necessary to get independent outside expert assessment about the matter. The report was ordered with the purpose of serving as background material for the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM who was going to handle the issue in its June meeting in Helsinki.
The report is based on information given by Polish environmental authorities to the Foundation on the waters around the gypsym stacks, the phosphorus concentrations in the ditches collecting leachate waters from the stack, as well as on the measures that have been taken to protect the gypsum stacks.

In the meetings with Mr. Jagusiewicz and H.E. Niesyto, the next steps in co-operation to help solve the situation was discussed. The joint sampling to be started in the beginning of July by Finnish and Polish authorities are an excellent first step towards concrete measures to stop the discharges for good. The representatives of the Foundation told that the Foundation is ready to offer its help to seek concrete solutions to take control of the discharges.