Environmental inspection teams were active on Friday and Saturday in the area of Karpos, looking for small industrial facilities which violate clean air rules.

As Skopje and other Macedonian cities suffer from world record setting levels of air pollution, citizens from Karpos were complaining online about a small aluminium smelter in the area. But the inspection teams informed that the plant has been closed since New Year.

We determined there are no violations in the area, Karpos municipality informed.

It is believed that the prevailing use of wood and even many types of solid waste such as worn out car tyres, for heating over the winter months, is the main reason for the sky-high levels of air pollution. Macedonia uses very little natural gas for heating – only parts of Skopje have a gas fired central heating network – and most homes are heated with wood, or electricity.