The Regional Administrative Court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to re-evaluate the environmental impact assessment report of the wood fiber board factory being built in the village of Pagirių, Vilnius district, by the company “Homanit Lietuva”. Although the local community says the company plans to use harmful chemicals in its operations, the court says the decision to re-evaluate the report was made after the agency failed to properly assess the risks of using the fuel in production.
“The court recognized that, although it is envisaged that the activities are planned to use mechanisms powered by fuels that are considered hazardous chemicals, and that there are related restrictions in the watershed protection zone, the environmental impact assessment report does not comment on the risks associated with this,” it was stated on Friday. in a statement issued by the court.
The wood panel factory, the court said, would operate in a drinking water watershed protection zone where economic activities are strictly restricted.
However, the community of the village of Pagiriu “Medeina”, which appealed to the court, claims that it is “convinced” that Homanit Lietuva, which wants to manufacture panels in this area, plans to use chemicals. According to residents, the Environmental Protection Agency did not assess this risk when conducting an environmental impact assessment.
The Hangover community also accused the agency of improperly conducting an air pollution assessment and, in addition, said that the resins planned to be used in the company’s production would release a higher amount of hazardous substances than indicated in the environmental impact assessment report.
Although the court rejected all these arguments of the community, it ordered the agency to conduct an environmental assessment anew because “the issue of fuel supply to the operational area was not properly addressed.”
“The environmental impact assessment report is based on objective data and acceptable methodologies, which the applicant did not deny, in addition, when approving the environmental impact assessment report, it was clearly stated that hazardous chemical substances will not be used,” the court explains.
As stated by the Environmental Protection Agency and Homanit Lietuva, air pollution and other risks have been assessed using recognized methodologies and objective data, advanced waste and air purification technologies will be used in production.
This court decision can also be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.
Tags: Environmental Protection Agency reevaluate environmental impact report Hangover plant
