EU to help Hungary over toxic sludge spill
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The European Union (EU) would do whatever it took to help Hungary deal with its toxic sludge spill, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in southwest Hungary Tuesday.
Barroso made the commitment at an annual rector's conference held at Pecs University, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was also a guest of honor.
Barroso voiced his sympathy for the Hungarian people, who were now coping with what he called "a very serious ecological disaster." He also praised the Hungarian authorities for their fast action and expertise in handling the tragedy.
Focusing on the conference, Barroso said it was an excellent chance to investigate the vital issue of "how universities can help us shape the future."
However, he returned to the red sludge issue at a news conference, promising to send additional EU experts to Hungary to help mitigate the consequences of the spill.
The EU has already sent five experts to help Hungary deal with the sludge, according to the commission chief.
Orban warned at the conference that science could be extremely dangerous if it was not coupled with responsibility, citing the red sludge spill that devastated Hungary a week ago.
A torrent of toxic red sludge burst out of a reservoir of an alumina refinery in the town of Ajka, 160 km southwest of Budapest on Oct. 4, flooding three villages and polluting rivers, including a tributary of the Danube.
The catastrophe has so far left eight people dead, 150 injured and hundreds homeless.
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