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Simon: No Time to Lose, We Have to Protect Drinking Water Supplies
Monday 30 November 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, November 30 (TASR) - Most-hid does not intend to wait until the Slovak Government grants a construction approval for a crude oil pipeline through Zitny Ostrov (south Slovakia) and endanger the Slovakia's drinking-water reservoirs, said Zsolt Simon, an independent MP and member of Most-Hid in Bratislava on Monday.
Therefore the party, made up of former member of SMK (Hungarian Coalition Party) has decided to address Slovak and Austrian environmental as well as water-management organisations in order to organise the "What's in the Slovak public interest? Protection of drinking water supplies or endangering it for Austrian interests?" conference on December 17.
"We think there is no time to lose since it is possible to build on someone else's property without their consent if it is in the 'state's interest' they could start construction tomorrow," said Simon. He pointed out that "for Slovakia and its Government the priority should be to protect itself, its territory and its resources", which include, according to him, the drinking water reservoirs in Zitny Ostrov. He pointed out that now Slovakia is endangering this resource to serve the interests of Austria, which wasn't even willing to lend a helping hand to Slovakia during the gas crisis in January.
"We should clarify whether we are a colony of Austria or not, because our Government behaves as is our land are not important ... but in Austria land is an impassable obstacle (because of the environment)," said Simon. He was referring to the fact that while in Slovakia the Government is considering the construction of an oil pipeline connecting Austrian refinery in Schwechat with the Druzhba pipeline through Slovakia, Austria refused to build a hydroelectric power plant next to Slovakia due to ecological concerns.
Simon pointed out that the Government has been trying since the beginning of the year to build the pipeline, adding that several legislative changes that would allow the project to be carried out were adopted only via footnotes to bills. According to him, a decision pertaining to environmental issues adopted by the Government on Wednesday would allow the pipeline to be built, even though an environmental impact study recommended not building it.
Economy Ministry spokesman Branislav Zvara responded that, in total, four routes for the pipeline are still being looked at, and no final decision has been made. Zvara claimed that the ministry does take environmental aspects into account as well.
Simon said all these analyses are not important, since the Austrians only count on the project that would necessitate having the pipeline go via Zitny Ostrov.
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