BRATISLAVA, August 20, (WEBNOVINY) — Efforts of the civil association „No pipeline Across Zitny Ostrov“ that is fighting against plans to build a crude oil pipeline crossing an area in Bratislava holding a major central European reservoir of drinking water have been reflected in the government’s program statement. In it, the government of Iveta Radicova undertakes not to carry out this Slovak-Austrian project. Activists, however, want to go further and on Friday they asked the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Regional Development, Zsolt Simon, to request in the Cabinet a dismissal of government representatives in the company Transpetrol, which should have implemented the project. They accuse those representatives of intentionally misleading the public over a long period about the pipeline construction plans. Activists in particular accuse the Chairman of the Board of Transpetrol, Ivan Krivosudsky, Vice Chairman Sergei Zapotocky, and member of the Board of Slavka Janosikova.
„A few days ago, the Ministry of Economy has published the names of representatives of Slovakia and Transpetrol in the company of Bratislava-Schwechat Pipeline, which should build the pipeline on the Austrian side of the border and has already received a planning permission. Zapotocky sits on the company as its authorized representative, and this means he constantly lied and misled the public in Slovakia when he said knows nothing about this project of Transpetrol. Once again it was shown that Transpetrol has a leading role on the Austrian side to manage the whole project,“ the activists justify the request for dismissal. The same applies to statements of former Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek (SMER-SD) and representatives of Transpetrol, when they alleged they could not influence the project on the Austrian side. „I will convey this requirement to my colleague, Economy Minister,“ Minister Simon he said at a news conference after meeting with the activists.
Representatives of the civil association Miroslav Dragun and Tomas Mikulec delivered to Minister Simon a petition with 50,000 signatures, against the project of the crude oil pipeline to Austria. Simon thanked them for it. „I think this petition has been successful,“ he evaluated its outcome. The petition was launched on February 5 and non-governmental organizations Greenpeace, Ekoforum and others have taken part in collecting signatures.
“The company Transpetrol, just as it informed in the spring of this year is seeking alternative routes for the pipeline in Slovakia. Any considerations and all work on the original route of the crude-oil pipeline across the Zitny Ostrov were halted even before the buyback of Transpetrol shares by the state,” responded Transpetrol’s press department. According to the company, the rightness of this decision was confirmed by the government program statement which ruled out any route leading via Zitny Ostrov and gave a definitive full stop behind all discussions on this topic.
Former Economy Minister Jahnatek justified the project of a pipeline between crude oil refineries in Bratislava and Schwechat, Austria by improvement of energy security. He claimed that in case of a supply disruption, Slovakia could immediately start importing 3.5 million tons of crude oil annually from this direction. Construction should start in 2012. Slovak Transpetrol and Austrian company OMV have established a joint venture called Bratislava-Schwechat Pipeline to carry out the project. The pipeline should be 62 km long, of which approximately 12 km should be in Slovakia. Transport capacity of the pipeline was planned from 2.5 to 5 million tons annually. Simon said that Economy Minister Juraj Miskov (SaS) will have to assume responsibility and cope with the fact that his predecessor Jahnatek signed a memorandum with Austria on the pipeline construction. „In my opinion, he will have to unconditionally deal with the fact that this pipeline can be built, but not across the territory of Zitny Ostrov,“ said Simon.
SITA