With its earlier letters (June 8, September 15, October 12), Estonia has called Finland's attention to shortcomings in the Nord Stream environmental impact assessment (EIA) report and to problems that have occurred in the process. With the most recent letter of November 2, Estonia again presented its position to Finland on both the EIA process in question as well as the contents of the report.
The letter sent by the Ministry of the Environment delivered information from the statement of the Riigikogu on the environmental risks related to the gas pipeline planned in the Baltic sea. The Ministry of the Environment also called attention to the fact that the Member States of the European Union have signed the Baltic Sea strategy, by which the states, including Finland, assume the obligation and responsibility to improve the environmental status of the Baltic Sea.
"Estonia expressed its pleasure over the consultations that took place with Finland, but asserted that there are shortcomings in the Espoo EIA report as well as national EIA reports and these do not comply with the EIA Directive," Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of the Environment Harry Liiv explained Estonia's position. "Therefore, the developer has not delivered all necessary information and the cross-border impact assessment has remained incomplete or been superficial," he noted.
The Finnish national EIA report contains a reference to Espoo EIA report for a more thorough assessment of cross-border impacts on Estonia, but the latter report only contains 1.5 pages on the relevant assessment. As a result, Estonia asks Finland to request a full cross-border impact assessment from the developer.
The Ministry of the Environment has also called attention to many shortcomings in the EIA report, which were referred to by the scientists of the Nord Stream working group established by the Ministry of the Environment. "For example, calculations related to hydrology raise questions; impacts on fishing and fisheries have not been sufficiently assessed; there is no clear planning and explaining of a monitoring programme; there are no compensatory mechanisms and guarantees to compensate for possible environmental damages," Liiv specified.
See also: http://www.envir.ee/1097560.
Ministry of the Environment presented Estonia's position to Finland on the Nord Stream environmental impact assessment
Eestlased Eestis | 04 Nov 2009 | EWR
Eestlased Eestis
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