Lithuania pushes for cancellation of NPP constriction in Belarus
- 5.03.2010, 11:06
Lithuanian politicians and public leaders are convinced that promises of Belarusian authorities that the future nuclear power plant would be safe cannot be trusted.
Lithuanian politicians and community leaders have entered a protest to the European parliament against Belarus’ plans to build a nuclear power plant at a distance of 23 kilometres from Lithuania. The address was sent after public hearing on the environmental impact assessment of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was held in Vilnius early this week, and the hearing hasn’t convinced Lithuanians of the NPP safety, Radio Svaboda reminds.
Beside the environmental impact assessment, Belarus has also prepared and published answers to questions of different countries about the NPP. Lithuania asked 39 questions, but answers of Belarus do not satisfy Lithuanian environmentalists, society and politicians.
“I have been acquainted with the environmental impact assessment rather well, and even with some versions of this report, as well as answers of the Environmental protection Ministry of Lithuania to the Belarusian side and its answers. From the answers of the Belarusian side I have found just one or two noteworthy. Other questions were ignored, several paragraphs contain empty talk only, and even phrases from Rosatom promotional materials,” stated Saulius Piksrys, chairman of the community Atgaja.
During public hearings in Vilnius experts of Belarusian Energy Ministry haven’t convinced the audience that the future nuclear power plant with experimental Russian reactor is safe. As a sign of protest, part of the audience left the assembly hall. Among them was the chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee of Lithuanian Seimas Jonas Simenas.
“What is happening here is absurd. Firstly, young people do not understand Russian, and organisers haven’t provided translation, so what could we discuss?! It is a conversation of a deaf with a mute. They offer to listen to it today, to read something tomorrow, and they would put a tick at their list, the meting has taken place. The meeting has been held, but we have heard nothing at it. That’s outrageous; moreover, there was a vice minister of the Environmental Protection (Aleksandras Spruogis) there. I think we are to demand political responsibility of this minister,” stated the chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee of the Seimas who left the meeting in protest.
A Lithuanian MP Gintaras Songaila stayed at the hearings, but he is also convinced that assurances of Belarus about safety of the future nuclear power plant cannot be trusted.
“It is such a sphere where we shouldn’t be divided, it is important to all, the both states. We are not satisfied by the environmental impact assessment. Moreover, with regard to the Chernobyl disaster, the figures that have been presented do not seem to be real. Belarus claims everything will be alright. But technical waste will float to us, and there is no clarity about storage of radioactive waste. It seems that they would be stored there on site in unknown technical conditions, about 10 kilometres from the village of Gervyaty. I am not even speaking about cultural, historical and natural value of the region, recreational zones. It is true, Belarus has chosen a bad site for a NPP construction,” Gintaras Songaila said.
Lithuanian participants of the public hearings, Lithuanian MPs and representatives of local authorities being among them, voted for an address to the European Parliament with a negative assessment of the hearings. In their address among other things they stated that they would do everything possible for Lithuania not recognizing the results of the public hearings on the Belarusian NPP’s environmental impact assessment satisfactory.