Transcarpathian environmentalists picketLviv Court of Appeal because of the construction of mini-hydros

Today in Lviv, Transcarpathian environmentalists picket the Lviv Administrative Court of Appeal, where tomorrow, August 19, the case of the construction of 360 ​​mini-hydropower plants on the rivers of Transcarpathia will be considered at the second hearing.

This was reported to the correspondent of the IA ZIK by the activists.

The case will be considered under the appeal of the Transcarpathian Regional Council against the ruling of the Transcarpathian Regional Administrative Court dd. 30.07.2012 under the claim of 4 activists – members of the Forum of Environmental Protection of Transcarpathia.

"For the first time in the history of Transcarpathia, activists had the court cancel the odious and corrupt decision of the council, whereby, in violation of 5 laws of Ukraine, without any discussion, without the approval of any authorized public authority, they agreed on the layout of 360 mini hydropower plants on the mountain rivers of Transcarpathia – Oleg Luksha, one of the picketers, the representative of the Forum of Environmental Protection of Transcarpathia says. – Instead, executive bodies were illegally ordered to provide 360 sites for mini hydropower plants both in planning schemes for 13 districts and the planning scheme of Transcarpathian region."

According to him, this decision of the Regional Council opened the government and business conglomerate the way to massive and unprecedented abuse of power concerning land and natural resources of the Transcarpathia, at least 50% of which is a nature reserve and the surrounding areas. And the implementation of at least a quarter of the planned scheme with 360 mini hydropower plants could lead to environmental disaster in the region. This was confirmed by absolutely all academic research institutions of the country, including those from Lviv – the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians, the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Regional Studies and the National Academy of Sciences Western Scientific Center. Their findings, as well as public expertise, are attached to the case.

The claims of activists were fully upheld back in 2012. The community of Transcarpathia represented by the Forum of Environmental Protection of Transcarpathia (consisting of 23 ecological NGOs) and of all Ukraine decided to picket the building of the Administrative Court of Appeal on the eve of rehearing in order to draw attention of judges to the importance of this case.