Stohlova: Government Exposing Itself to Risk of Lawsuits by Approving Malinec

Bratislava, 11 February (TASR) - The government on Wednesday approved the preparatory work on the Malinec-Latky pumped-storage hydro-electric power plant project as a significant investment even though conditions for such a step set by law haven't been met, said parliamentary agriculture and environment committee vice-chair Tamara Stohlova (Progressive Slovakia/PS) on the same day. By approving the investment, the government is also exposing itself to the risk of lawsuits and further legal disputes, warned Stohlova. "We haven't yet seen a feasibility study, i.e. whether or not this investment is worthwhile for Slovakia. The public interest of the investment hasn't been substantiated, either," she said. The Environment Ministry defended including the hydro-power plant's among significant investments by pointing to objective and critical time pressure, according to a document approved by the government at its session on Wednesday. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National party/SNS nominee) is supposed to issue a certificate of significant investment within two weeks. The sum planned for preparing the hydro-electric power plant amounts to some €60 million. "A comparison of the usual time frames for standard permit procedures (environmental impact assessment, zoning procedure and construction permit procedure), public procurement, and the actual implementation of construction and technological activities with the transmission system development schedule shows that it wouldn't be possible to complete the project on time under standard procedures," explained the ministry. ko/df