Some 20 members of the environmental group Greenpeace occupied production units in a phosphoric fertiliser plant in northern Greece today to oppose increases in ozone-damaging emissions.
The activists blocked the units where these dangerous chemical substances are produced, Greenpeace said in a statement. But a plant official told reporters production had not been halted.
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"It would be too dangerous to stop production, but they have occupied the units and are remaining inside until we stop our production of these chemicals, that's what they told us," assistant plant manager Mr Dimitris Marangos said.
Greenpeace activists entered the grounds of the Phosphoric Fertilisers Industry in Thessaloniki, a plant they had previously occupied in 1994.
The company is 87 per cent-owned by Commercial Bank of Greece.
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Activists hung large banners across the front of the plant, saying Stop climate ozone killers. They said they had received no resistance from plant managers.
"We are currently having a meeting within the company to discuss later with Greenpeace," Mr Marangos said.
Greenpeace said the emission of hydrofluorocarbons during production of refrigerants was damaging the environment.
These gases are extremely powerful global warming gases, Greenpeace Greece director Stelios Psomas told reporters.
"We intend to stay inside the plant for as long as it takes to reduce the amount of dangerous chemicals produced there," he said.