Kratky Calls on Taraba to Release EIA Documents on Battery Plant (2)

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - Opposition's MP Rastislav Kratky ('Slovakia'-For the People-KU alliance), a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Environment, has called on Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) to fully disclose all documents related to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the planned battery production facility in the town of Surany (Nitra region). "Mr. Taraba, give the order to have all the documents on the battery plant assessment properly published — just as has always been the case for such projects," Kratky stated. Kratky noted that Taraba himself has previously admitted the submitted documentation is of low quality. Despite that, further documents have not been published — allegedly because the ministry didn’t return them to the investor for full revision but merely requested additional details. Kratky argues that this approach is non-transparent and may harm the public interest. He emphasized that while the assessment process has been suspended by the ministry, the available materials could and should be made accessible to the public via the relevant official website. "I can’t shake the suspicion that this is a cover-up maneuver so that a decision can be rushed through without allowing enough time to study the documents properly. If that happens, I will file a criminal complaint for suspected document falsification and the potential threat of large-scale environmental damage," Kratky warned. The MP also claimed there are already indications of deliberate falsifications in the project documentation and that data from the pre-project phase, including projected production capacity, were significantly distorted. "The reality appears to be very different from the original projections. The numbers are changing dramatically. That’s exactly why the project must be published and all competent bodies and the public given time to study it thoroughly," he added. Kratky concluded that the inhabitants have a right to know what is being planned in their area of residence and what risks the project might pose. Hiding information, he said, only deepens suspicion and undermines trust in institutions. In response, the Ministry of Environment stated for TASR: "Opposition MPs should at the very least understand the basics of the EIA process. The ministry cannot publish the study, as it was returned to the investor for completion by the ministry’s expert section. The EIA process can only continue once all the requested documentation has been submitted by the investor." mf