The non-governmental organization MANS today sent the initiative of the Parliamentary Committee for Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning with a proposal for a control hearing of the Minister of Tourism and Sustainable Development Branimir Gvozdenovic regarding the need of making the new planning documents for the announced Government investment in the construction of the Second block of Thermal Power Plant in Pljevlja.
In the Initiative the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism is reminded that in May last year organized a public hearing on the draft of Detailed Spatial Plan (DSP) and the draft of the Strategic Assessment of Environmental Impact (SEA) for the construction of a new Thermal Power Plant in Pljevlja.
The basis for the development of the then drafts of DSP and SEA presented a feasibility study of construction of the Second block of the Thermal Power Plant in Pljevlja, which for the purposes of the National Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG), together with the impact assessment on the environment, at the end of 2012, created a consortium led by Slovenian company “Esotech”from Velenje.
EPCG still has not publicly announced that feasibility study, and the research center of MANS came into possession of the impact assessment on the environment in 2012, which explicitly states that the selected power of the new Thermal Power Plant of 220 MW is optimal in terms of available coal reserves in the inner basin of Pljevlja.
However, the state energy company earlier this year signed a new contract with the company “Ecotech” from Velenje for the development of preliminary design of construction of the Second block and a new impact assessment on the environment, clearly on a completely new technical features, or as a parameter of power for a new block is designed 254 MW.
Slovenian company contract documents should develop within 90 days from the day when the EPCG delivers the terms of reference and urban technical conditions, which is expected after the adoption of the DSP. In this connection, it is particularly concerning that in the technical specification of a preliminary design is stated that the aim is obtaining a building permit for the construction of the Second block, although the entire process of adopting the necessary planning documents is still not accomplished.
Law on Spatial Planning and Facility Construction stipulates that for the Detailed Spatial Plan may be organized repeated public debate if the planning document differs significantly from the original draft, which would in particular be the case, because it is a block of much larger power.
Therefore MANS proposed that minister Gvozdenovic and Director of the Agency for Environmental Protection Ervin Spahic testify before the competent parliamentary body in order to explain the latest situation. We expect the highest parliamentary representatives will approach this important issue in the light as a public rather than party interests.
MANS
