SaS: No Guarantee Potable Water Not Threatened by Malinec Hydro-power Plant

Bratislava, 5 June (TASR) - There are no guarantees that the construction of the Malinec hydro-power plant will not endanger potable water in the Podpolanie area of Banska Bystrica region, MPs Alojz Hlina and Maria Kolikova (both Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) told a news conference on Thursday in reaction to the signing of a memorandum on support for constructing the power station between the Environment Ministry and the villages of Malinec, Latky and 15 other municipalities. According to Kolikova, the construction of this hydro-power plant resembles legal corruption, as it's impossible for the mayors of the municipalities in the Podpolanie area who supported the project to say without any guarantees that building a pumped-storage power station is a good decision. "It is all the more strange that municipalities that won't be affected by this are expressing their views on this, and that they are celebrating that they will draw money from the solidarity fund and are in fact blackmailing the municipalities that haven't joined yet. I believe that they won't join, as they have absolutely no guarantees that this project is in the public interest, and especially not that the source of drinking water won't be endangered," she said. ko/df