Annie Hultqvist lives a few kilometers from the rubbish dump in Marhult.
After waste and slaughter residues were dumped in the old industrial area, she began to receive unwelcome visits from rats.
She suspects that the pests come from the rubbish heaps at the old sawmill in Marhult.
- When the rats came, I felt that this was overriding, so I started researching where they could come from, says Annie Hultqvist.
The police's samples from the rubbish heaps show that slaughter waste has occurred at the site.
55 rats in two weeks
For two weeks this spring, Annie Hultqvist herself captured 55 rats.
But that was not enough, she had to contact the municipality, which in turn hired pest controllers.
Rat poison was placed in the village and the hen house at Annie Hultqvist's home got peace and quiet.
- But in the autumn there is a risk that the rats will return according to the pest controllers, says Annie Hultqvist.
Several neighbors of Annie Hultqvist have also had problems with rats, but especially of gulls and quays circulating in the village.
- They have had to set up sound devices that will ward off the rats, says Annie Hultqvist.
NOK 150,000 in white
In May 2021, Uppvidinge municipality itself had to pay just over SEK 200,000 in remediation costs.
The municipality also threatened the property owner with a fine of SEK 150,000 if measures to get rid of the rats were not presented within two weeks.
Now that time has passed.
- We have been in contact with the property owner who has acted and contacted our own cleaners.
We will try to assess whether it is a sensible remediation company, and if it is okay, there is no need to request a fine, says Mattias Pedersen, environmental inspector at Uppvidinge municipality.
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