Sept. 28, 1999 * Volume 2 Number 7
CONTENTS:
B A L K A N C R I S I S
KFOR admits dumping in Macedonian lakes
The admission by the UN peacekeeping force KFOR that it has
dumped unexploded ordnance and other waste into two lakes in FYR
Macedonia in the beginning of September has increased the level of
protest from Macedonian officials and citizen's groups, who have
already been demanding that KFOR leave the country, according to
reports. A Sept. 17 edition of Environment News Service reported that,
after KFOR officials admitted their helicopters dropped waste into Lake
Prespa and Lake Dolnolipkovsko, Macedonian Environment Minister
Toni Popovski asked the international environmental organisation
Greenpeace to undertake research in Lake Dolnolipkovsko to
determine the type of waste dumped there and what damage it has
caused. But KFOR officials said they would only pay for an investigation
of the waste if the work is done by their own divers. Contact:
Macedonian Environment Ministry, Svetlana Gjorgjeva, Head of
Environmental Information Center, tel: (289-9) 136-6930; e-mail:
gjorgeva@unet.com.mk; or KFOR Press Information Centre, tel: (381-
3) 850-1330/33; fax: (381-3) 850-1329/27; email:
kfor2@unet.com.mk.
Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine appeal for EU help to clear Danube
The transport ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine have
appealed to the EU for financial aid to clear the River Danube of debris
left by NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia, according to a Sept. 23
report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). The debris has
reportedly brought the Danube fleets of the three countries to a virtual
standstill. Ukraine claionment
minister Kuzvart, tel: (420-2) 6712-2719 or (420-2) 6712-1111.
WWF team reports contamination in Yugoslavia is spreading
A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) expert team confirmed evidence
of damage to Yugoslavia's environment through chemical
contamination, causing the conservation organisation to call for urgent
clean up of toxic substances that continue to pollute the environment,
according to a Sept. 14 press release. A rapid environmental
assessment of two of the facilities bombed in Yugoslavia: the Pancevo
petrochemical complex and the Novi Sad oil refinery, as well as tests of
Danube River water, revealed that toxic pollutants, originally released in
the immediate environment of bombed facilities, are now threatening
further damage by spreading into surrounding areas, WWF said.
Samples taken from soil and water showed the presence of notable
quantities of mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ethylene
dichloride and other highly toxic substances, including dioxin,
according to the press release. "The international donor community
has to provide financial and technical support, and equipment, for the
urgent clean up and removal of contaminants in both the soil and the
water," Philip Weller, director of WWF’s Danube Carpathian
Programme and leader of the expert team said, according to the press
release. WWF’s analysis also revealed that the war has exposed an
enormous deficiency in the monitoring of toxic chemicals in the
countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the press release said.
Contact: Weller at WWF’s Danube Carpathian Programme, tel: (43-
676) 444-6601; or Shaleen Russell, WWF International, tel: (41-22) 364-
9571; web: http://www.panda.org/crisis.
UN task force 'plays down' concerns of Balkan 'catastrophe'
The last in a series of surveys of impacts of the Kosovo war on the
region's environment has been completed by the UN Environment
Programme-led Balkans Task Force (BTF), according to a Sept. 15
report from ENDS Environment Daily. Task force leader Pekka Haavisto
on Sept. 13 "played down," in the words of an official UNEP statement,
"concerns of an ecological catastrophe" that were widely voiced during
and shortly after the conflict, ENDS reported. Haavisto confirmed that an
earlier task force mission had discovered locally important pollution at
some industrial sites and, in particular, Pancevo and Kragujevac, two
towns in Serbia, but it was not made absolutely clear whether all the
pollution at Kragujevac was caused by NATO's bombing campaign or
whether some of it pre-dated this, the report said. According to
Environment News Service, Haavisto said: "An issue of more
immediate concern . . . is the amount of unexploded ordnance in the
national parks. It is unclear exactly how much is there but its presence
is hindering management and maintenance of these areas which are
key areas for recreation and tourism." Other BTF teams have
investigated impacts on the River Danube, which is an important
source of drinking water in the Balkan region, and urban management
issues in the Kosovan capital Pristina. A further international group
involving UNEP and other agencies is looking at what effects the use of
depleted uranium munitions might have had and is expected to issue a
report in September or October, the report said. Contacts: UNEP
Balkan Task Force, tel: (41-79) 206-3720; web:
http://www.grid.unep.ch/btf
EC announces internet sites about Kosovo
According to a source in Directorate General IA of the European
Commission, all main documents concerning the EC's reconstruction
programme in Kosovo are online at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg1a/see/intro/index.htm. The EC and the
World Bank have also set up a joint website on economic
reconstruction and development in South Eastern Europe at the
following address:
http://www.seerecon.org/Kosovo/KosovoReconstruction/tafko.htm.
Web page outlines upcoming food crisis in Kosovo
A new web site put out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations outlines the potential food crisis currently being faced in
Kosovo due to the Balkan conflict. It is located at:
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/faoinfo/economic/giews/english/alertes/1999/SRKOS899.htm.
NGO conference in Belgrade sees need for better relations
Relations between non-governmental organisations and the
government of Yugoslavia are poor and there is a need for a better
partnership, characteristic of a developed democracy, according to a
press release issued after the "LOOKING AT FUTURE" conference for
Yugoslav NGOs. The conference, which took place in Belgrade Sept. 3-
5, was organised by the Belgrade-based NGO Civic Initiatives in the
framework of the project "Breaking barriers, building bridges" which
was being realised in cooperation with the Institute for Democracy in
East Europe, in Washington, the press release said. The conference
gathered 206 participants from 144 NGOs in 38 towns of Yugoslavia
and 20 other NGOs from around Central and Eastern Europe and the
rest of the world, to view the conditions under which the NGOs have
worked in post war period and set future priorities, the release said.
The conference resulted in the establishment of a coordinating body of
NGOs for humanitarian issues and in the launching of an initiative for
the urgent change of the current law, the press release said. The
findings of the conference are in line with those of the Regional
Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe's South Eastern
European Development of Environmental Society Initiative (SEEDES).
The REC has undertaken a five-year initiative to help rebuild NGOs and
civil society in general in Yugoslavia. Contact: Miljenko Dereta,
executive director of Civic Initiatives, e-mail: civin@EUnet.yu. To find
out more about the REC's SEEDES initiative, contact Mihail Dimovski, e-
mail: mihail@rec.org.
WSPA sets up emergency shelter for Kosovo's stray dogs
A disaster relief team from the World Society for the Protection of Animals has established an emergency shelter for Kosovo's stray dogs, according to a Sept. 2 press release from the WSPA. The shelter, at an abandoned cattle farm, is in the town of Prizren and is currently home to 50 dogs, the release said. The WSPA team is rounding up strays from the streets and caring for them at the shelter before attempting to re-home as many as possible locally, the release said. The WSPA team is working alongside Kosovar veterinarians in an attempt to deal with the problem of thousands of stray dogs that are roaming the streets and forming packs scavenging for food, the release said. Contact: Jonathan Owen, WSPA Press Office, tel: (44-20) 7 587-5019; web: http://www.wspa.org.uk.
A R O U N D T H E R E G I O N
Environment minister blasts plan for Prague's infrastructure
Czech Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart on Sept. 15 criticised the government's recently approved controversial plan outlining the future of Prague's infrastructure, according to a report from Radio Prague. Kuzvart said the plans for developing the transport network within the capital were unsuitable and would harm the atmosphere in the city centre, Radio Prague said. Kuzvart reportedly said that plan's effect on the quality of air in the targeted areas was not taken into account at all and that the government broke the law by ignoring proposals and comments put forward by the people of Prague. Contact: Environment minister Kuzvart, tel: (420-2) 6712-2719 or (420-2) 6712-1111.
Hungary moves closer to EU with wastewater upgrades
The World Bank approved a loan on Sept. 17 to upgrade two wastewater plants and extend the sewer system in Budapest and to build a secondary wastewater treatment plant in Dunaujvaros, 60 kilometres north of Hungary's capital, according to Environment News Service (ENS). The projects, to be funded by a USD 31.6 million loan, will help Hungary's efforts towards EU accession by supporting a least-cost compliance strategy emphasising prioritisation and phasing in of environmental investments by local governments, according to ENS. Contact: Dr. Judit Moser of the Hungarian environment ministry's press office, tel: (36-1) 201-2619.
N U C L E A R
Grappling with old nuke plant, Lithuania considers new one
The Lithuanian cabinet has received praise from European Union
officials for its Sept. 8 decision to close the first unit of the
controversial
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant by 2005, but the issue is far from closed,
with a fractious debate brewing in the Lithuanian Parliament, according
to reports. In an apparent attempt to soothe division on the issue within
his ruling Conservative Party, deputy parliamentary speaker Andrius
Kubilius suggested that Lithuania replace Ignalina with another nuclear
plant, according to a Sept. 27 report from Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE). The report said that the Conservative Party's
parliamentary faction has approved a plan whereby the second unit at
Ignalina will be decommissioned in 2010. This decision followed a
Sept. 9 statement from the European Commission that it hoped the
second unit would be decommissioned by 2009, according to Reuters.
The Soviet-style nuclear plant at Ignalia provides roughly 80 percent of
the energy in Lithuania, making it the most nuclear dependent country
in the world. The EC has repeatedly implied that Lithuania's hopes of
joining the EU are dependent on developing plans for timely closure of
the plant. Contact: Lithuanian environmental spokeswoman Natalija
Gedvilaite, tel: (370-2) 723- 25; e-mail: Leidybos.biuras@nt.gamta.lt;
or European Commission's DGXI enlargement unit, e-mail:
enlargement@dg11.cec.be; web:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg11/enlarg/home.htm; or European
Commission Directorate General for Environment, Timo Makela, tel:
(32-2) 299-2300; fax (32-2) 299-0310.
Slovakia sets nuke plant closure date; Western officials react
Following the Slovak government's announcement that it plans to shut
down the first reactor in the V1 block of the Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear
power plant in 2006 and the second reactor in 2008, German Foreign
Ministry State Secretary Wolfgang Ischinger told Slovak President
Rudolf Schuster that Bratislava's decisions regarding nuclear energy
could be "crucial" in the country's attempts to join the European Union,
according to a Sept. 27 edition of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE). Earlier, on Sept. 22, Austrian Foreign Ministry State Secretary
Benita Ferrer-Waldner, reacting to the news of the proposed closure
dates, said Vienna takes note of the decision "with disappointment . . .
This is not what we expected," according to RFE. Austrian officials have
repeatedly threatened to block Slovakia's EU accession efforts until an
acceptable closure plan is approved. The ministry's detailed plan,
which has not yet been released, is also expected to raise the question
of EU compensation for losses incurred as a result of the shutdowns,
according to a Sept. 28 report from Reuters. It was not clear whether
the plan involved the shutdown of the second, more modern, V2 block
at Bohunice, Reuters said. Contact: Slovak Environment Ministry, tel:
(421-7) 516-2306; or Karl Schweitzer, chairman of Austria's
parliamentary environmental committee, e-mail:
karl.schweitzer@fpoe.at.
Bulgaria, EU discuss closure of Kozloduy units
Meeting with an EU delegation on Sept. 17, Bulgarian officials offered
three options for the early closure of four controversial nuclear reactors
at the Kozloduy nuclear plant, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE). This is the first time that Bulgaria has shown readiness
to comply with the European Union's requests to close the reactors
earlier than planned, a move which might bring EU funding for energy projects, the report said. RFE quoted Metodi
Konstantinov, a member of the Bulgarian negotiating team, as telling
journalists that the three options envisaged the closure of the four
reactors one, two, or three years earlier than the time frame set by the
government. According to the Bulgarian parliament's energy strategy,
reactors one and two are to be shut down in 2004-2005 and reactors
three and four in 2008 and 2010, the report said. Contact: Bulgarian
Ministry of Environment and Waters, tel: (359-2) 8472-2000; fax: (359-2)
810-509, 981-1186; or European Commission's DGXI enlargement
unit, e-mail: enlargement@dg11.cec.be; web:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg11/enlarg/home.htm.
Czech trade minister: Temelin's problems have been resolved
The Czech Minister of Trade and Industry, Miroslav Gregr, said almost
all of the problems faced in the building of the Temelin nuclear power
station have been removed, according to a Sept. 20 Radio Prague
report. Gregr visited the power station -- which has been the centre of
much debate and controversy over the past decade due to increasing
budgets, massive time delays and opposition groups -- on Sept. 17,
the report said. The minister said the majority of the problems had
been solved by the American company Westinghouse, which is
supplying automation technology and other equipment, according to
Radio Prague. The minister said the first block will be completed by the
end of the year and the second block should also be finished on time,
according to the report. Contact: Czech Environment Minister Milos
Kuzvart, tel: (420-2) 6712-2719 or (420-2) 6712-1111; or Greenpeace
Austria, tel: (43-1) 545-4580.
Romanian nuclear reactor faces fiscal crisis
Romania's nuclear company Nuclearoelectrica could have its license
for the Cernavoda power plant withdrawn unless it gets funds to
operate during a maintenance shutdown, a company official said on
Sept. 16, according to a report from Reuters. Teodor Chirica, the
director of Nuclearoelectrica's international affairs division, said the
company needed Lei 136 billion to keep Cernavoda operating during
the 30-day maintenance period, the report said. The national electricity
company Conel, the sole client for energy produced at Cernavoda owes
Nuclearoelectrica about Lei 1.5 trillion, and Nuclearoelectrica is
working on a scheme to allow Conel to pay Lei 5 billion per working day
to cover Cernavoda's running costs during the outage, the report said.
Cernavoda is Romania's sole nuclear plant using Canadian Candu
technology, and in the first six months of this year Nuclearoelectrica
produced 2.8 million megawatt hours, or some 13 percent of
Romania's electricity output, according to the Reuters report. Contact:
Romanian Ministry of Water, Forestry and Environmental Protection, tel:
(40-1) 410-6394; fax: (40-1) 312-2599.
CEU seminar: 'lichens as monitors of Chernobyl'
An Oct. 4 lecture at Central European University in Budapest will cover
the topic of lichens, which were an effective source in pinpointing the
spread of radioactive clouds that passed through Poland and other
countries in the region after the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl
nuclear plant in 1986, according to an announcement. Professor Mark
Seaward DSc, University of Bradford, UK, is scheduled to discuss "the
advantages of using lichens in environmental monitoring and
pinpointing sources, as well as providing long-term data on
environmental conditions," the announcement said. The seminar is
open to anyone interested, and is being presented by Central
European University's Environmental Sciences and Policy Department,
Room 609, Faculty Tower, Nador utca 9, Budapest, at 5 pm on Oct. 4.
J O U R N A L I S M N E W S
Magazine about the region re-launched online
According to a widely distributed e-mail, "Transitions Online," billed as
"an Internet monthly covering political and social issues in Central and
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union," launched its inaugural
issue in September, and will continue to publish once a month. The
announcement described "Transitions Online" as "a nonprofit new
media venture built on the excellent reputation of our predecessor, the
print version of 'Transitions' magazine, which was renowned for its
local perspectives on issues impacting the region. The publication can
be seen online at: http://www.transitions-online.org. Anyone seeking
requests, comments, or subscription information can contact them at:
e-mail: transitions@ijt.cz; tel: (420-2) 2 278-0805.
REC site adds info on economic instruments, public participation
New sections added to the web site of the Regional Environmental
Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) cover the topics of
economic instruments and public participation in relation to the
region's environment. For more information on the Sofia Initiative on
Economic Instruments, see the site at: http://www.rec.org/SIEI. To
learn more about public participation in decision making on
environment and health matters, see the web pages at:
http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/HealthyDecisions/HDIndex.shtml.
W H O W E A R E
About Green Horizon
Green Horizon is a free newsletter designed to help journalists stay ahead of environmental news in Central and Eastern Europe. Twice a month, we'll offer tips on upcoming stories to watch for, as well as information and ideas to help you develop in-depth pieces about the region's environment. Green Horizon is produced by the Media Information Service (MIS) of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. The goal of the MIS is to assist the media in covering environmental issues. It is funded by the European Commission's DG-XI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For a free subscription, research assistance or to find a source: Send e-mail to: GreenHorizon@rec.org, or call Tom Popper at (36-26) 504-000, fax (36-26) 311-294.
Funded by European Commission's DG-XI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
