A roundtable was held following the documentary “Business with Quarries”, broadcasted on Top Channel on May 4th 2022. This documentary was produced within the project funded by the European Union entitled “Enhance Journalism to make Accountability occur and Democracy Function!” (EJAD), implemented by Top Channel in partnership with the “Friedrich Ebert Stiftung” Foundation. Participants in this roundtable were representatives from civil society, Albanian Helsinki Committee, journalists and activists, who discussed about permits for the use of quarries, concrete cases of granting permits without criteria, including protected areas. It was also discussed the dramatic effects of quarries on the environment, analyzing how they destroy the ecosystem, fauna, flora, underground and surface waters, as well as the impact on the residents living in the surrounding areas. Experts raised their concerns about the local administrative unit’s inability to make an intervention because they have no financial resources. They underlined the need for urgent measures that can be taken in order to mitigate this phenomenon, and their contribution and the public institutions one. During the discussion it was suggested that the media should become an active member of the preventive process for environmental pollution by being part of consultation processes and prevent projects, that will have an important impact on the environment.
