Slovaks can comment on Ukrainian power plants

Slovaks can comment on Ukrainian power plants

The Slovak public can submit comments regarding Ukraine's plans to prolong the lifetime of Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporozhye, as well as the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Station. After pressure from other countries and non-governmental organisations, Ukraine opened the projects to public comments within the potentially affected countries, including Slovakia, which shares is eastern border with Ukraine. At the moment they have been submitted to an EIA environmental impact assessment. According to Dana Mareková from the People in Need NGO, the Ukrainian action comes two years after the NGOs started notifying the governments of Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Austria, that Ukraine was not following the conventions on cross-border assessment. According to the UN Espoo Convention, this is an instrument to bring together all stakeholders to prevent environmental damage before it occurs.

The commenting process was opened on April 26, the anniversary date of the biggest nuclear accident in history, which took place in Ukraine. Slovaks still have 21 days to submit their comments and reviews. However, according to Mareková, Ukraine has not provided the complete documentation and it is also not clear how the cross-border assessment process will be taken into account in the decision to continue the operation.

Zuzana Botiková, Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Maxim Gavrilyuk

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