Possible Relocation of Lilo Landfill: Study, Environmental Assessment, and Public Participation

On 9 October 2026, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced that the results of the feasibility study for the possible relocation of the Lilo landfill would soon be known. The Imedi report also discusses the problem of leachate and works on installing a treatment system. The final choice of a specific new location or environmental permit is not presented in this report.

Study and decision of the authorised body

A feasibility study may compare locations, costs, and technical alternatives. It does not in itself replace the necessary legal procedures. Depending on the scope, capacity, and type of activity of the project, the annexes of the Environmental Assessment Code and other relevant mandatory rules must be checked.

Article 6 of the Environmental Assessment Code defines the stages of EIA as scoping, report preparation, public participation, information assessment, and expertise. Scoping establishes the scope of issues to be assessed. Article 12 also includes public participation in the process of making an environmental decision. The procedure applicable to a specific project cannot be determined solely from a general announcement.

Information and participation during real choice

Article 29 of the Constitution protects the right to timely receive full information about the state of the environment and to participate in environmental decision-making. Practically, the accessibility of the study, proposed alternatives, expected impacts, public discussion, and the final act will be important. Informing only after implementation is not equivalent to the opportunity for early stage participation.

Articles 4, 6, and 9 of the Aarhus Convention establish the framework for access to information, public participation in relevant decisions, and access to justice. Georgia is a party to the Convention; this is a binding international treaty, not a recommendation from a private consultant. Participation requires due consideration of comments but does not grant each participant an unconditional right to veto the project.

What remains to be checked

At this stage, the final text of the study, the exact description of the activity, possible territories, and acts of authorised bodies are needed. Monitoring data is also required to independently determine the legal scale of pollution described in the report. The announcement about a future treatment system does not confirm that the current problem has already been eliminated.

Requesting information and submitting reasoned comments in the relevant proceedings are complementary avenues. Appealing a refusal or a final decision is assessed according to the act, the right to participate, and national procedure. The Aarhus compliance mechanism does not replace the Georgian permitting authority or a court determining individual damages. These sources confirm the announcement about the study; describing the relocation as an already permitted project is premature.

Related clarification: Public Funding and Budget Approval Stages.

Date of verification

Legislation verified as of 9 October 2026.

This article is for informational purposes, based on the public sources cited, and does not constitute individual legal advice.