Despite numerous statements about the safety of the Kronospan wood processing plant, which is planned to be built near Rivne, the data from the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of Technoprivid Invest Group LLC from its planned operation (hereinafter – EIA Report) suggest the opposite.
Ecoclub has prepared a letter of appeal with remarks on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of Technoprivid Invest Group LLC (representatives of Kronospan). In particular, it states the following:
1. The air in the village of Horodok is already heavily polluted with formaldehyde and benzene, substances that the future plant plans to release into the atmospheric air. Thus, at present, the background concentration of formaldehyde in Horodok exceeds the safe concentration by 4.6 times, and the concentration of benzene is exceeded by 10 times. Formaldehyde and benzene are classified as carcinogens, i.e. they promote the formation of cancer.
2. The EIA Report directly states that as a result of the plant’s operation the concentrations of pollutants will exceed a relatively safe level:
- Nitrogen dioxide by 2.98 times.
- Formaldehyde by 5.62 times.
- Suspended substances by 2.67 times.
Therefore, the drafters of the EIA Report unambiguously state that the planned emissions will harm human health and the environment.
3. As a result of the plant’s operation, waste will be generated, which will include spoiled adhesives and oil wastes.
These substances belong to the waste of the 2nd class of danger, thus cannot be placed on usual landfill sites for collecting solid household waste. This can pose a threat to local residents in case the waste or its decomposition products enter the air, surface or groundwater.
4. The EIA report does not include technological alternatives of production processes (e.g. only one of the treatment facilities is considered), which would not lead to such excessive emissions. Similarly, other locations for the future plant have not been considered, although consideration of such alternatives is explicitly required by the Law of Ukraine “On Environmental Impact Assessment”.
In the case of issuing a permit on the construction of the planned Kronospan wood processing plant residents of the village of Horodok and neighboring settlements will be exposed to pollutants, which will lead to health deterioration. Moreover, it will cause damage to the environment.
NGO “Ecoclub” supports the desire for economic development of the Rivne region and Ukraine in general. However, the activities of enterprises whose emissions and wastes harm people and the environment cannot be permitted under any circumstances.
The letter of appeal was sent to the Rivne Oblast Department for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the Head of Rivne Regional State Administration, the Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Rivne Region, the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the acting Chairman of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine, and the Minister of Health of Ukraine.
Ecoclub’s Letter of appeal with remarks to the EIA Report: