SEA Denounces Environmental Crimes at Pachia Ammos

Last year in May, the Stavros Environmental Protection Association (SEA) made headlines for exposing the not-so-subtle occupation of Pachia Ammos’s public beach by the Chania Municipality and the local water utility, DEYACH. New construction on State, not municipal, land ensured that the infamous A44 sewage pumping station sat squarely in an ecologically sensitive hot spot.

Here’s the twist: the technical description of the project reveals a grand plan to direct sewage overflow right into the sea—a spot that, as fate would have it, serves as protected swimming waters and a maternity ward for Caretta caretta turtles, not to mention a sanctuary for Posidonia Oceanica and the notoriously delicate Pancratium maritimum. Because, honestly, what could possibly go wrong with placing a man-made geyser of effluent next to endangered species?

Satire of Oversight—New Lows in Environmental Crimes

Fast forward to now, and history repeats itself with the grace of an unwanted family reunion. SEA accuses authorities of ignoring proper procedures in the construction of the pumping station, despite lacking the necessary approvals—and, arguably, common sense. Any objections meet polite shrugs or demands for the accuser’s ID, an approach SEA finds charmingly reminiscent of less democratic eras.

Construction pressed on, even when faced with the minor inconvenience of persistent seawater flooding the eight-meter trench dug into the sand. When nature fought back, crews responded by pumping water straight into the sea, coating rocks with a slick so unsightly that even passing gulls lost interest. After a pause—brought on by residents’ complaints and a fleeting visit from the harbor police—work resumed, pipes snaking over sand dunes and leaving exposed roots where beach grass once clung to life.

The hit parade continues: vegetation is battered, sand disappears, rare plant life teeters on collapse, and the supposed guardians of oversight watch from a safe distance. Legal battles unfold somewhere offstage, while calls for transparency and public accountability echo without reply.

The Stavros Environmental Protection Association, patient but insistent, repeats its requests for:

• Immediate halt of all construction at the site.
• A practical new location for the pumping station, away from the shoreline.
• Restoration of every inch of damage, no half-measures accepted.
• Transparent public reporting on every step of this saga.

Finally, community outrage simmers alongside a swelling tally of online signatures, a silent yet pointed plea that infrastructure upgrades needn’t come at the expense of clean beaches or public trust.

In the world of environmental crimes, this drama at Pachia Ammos demonstrates creativity, persistence, and a stunning lack of accountability. Stay tuned—nature might recover, but accountability remains an endangered species.