‘Yiorgos’, Coal Miner, Akrini, Northern Greece

Yiorgos works in the lignite mine that encircles Akrini. The village’s natural water source had to be cut off after it was discovered the cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium had leached into it from coal ash deposits nearby. Those responsible were later imprisoned - but the site is still not managed properly. Yiorgos wants to move on but, like many villagers, he is caught in an impossible position, with the coal industry being a key employer in the region, and the nearby mine currently rendering his house worthless.