Hnutí DUHA / Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, Greenpeace and local organisation, Zelená pro Pardubicko filled a lawsuit against the Czech Ministry of the Environment’s decision to grant a coal-fire plant an exemption from emission limits.
A little bit of context
For decades, Czech Republic has ranked among the top three coal burners in Europe. But it’s now becoming clear to the authorities that, in addition to wrecking our environment and climate, staying on that path is not economically profitable either. Czechia has therefore started to plan beyond coal – setting up a commission to plan the transition and announcing its commitment to a coal exit.
But the reality of the Chvaletice power plant tells another story.
Thrice the exemption
The Chvaletice coal-fired power plant (ECHVA) in Pardubice releases colossal amounts of mercury and nitrogen oxides every year, damaging the environment and human health. And it has no plan to reduce its emissions.
Jan Linhart, chairman of the Zelená pro Pardubicko association said:
“It is necessary to realise that the level of air pollution in the regional city is already so high due to other factors. Any other higher sources of emissions in the background of the city, leading to a higher incidence of cancer, must be considered unacceptable and risky.”
In November 2021, under previous Minister Richard Brabec, ECHVA was granted an exemption from the European rules concerning emissions of pollutants rejected by combustion plants. It is the third time the plant is allowed not to conform to the limits on emissions set by the European Union.
That is why Hnutí DUHA teamed up with Greenpeace and the local association Zelená pro Pardubicko to engage court proceeding against the Ministry of the Environment. They argue that this exemption is illegal and violate the Prevention Act, according to which serious environmental pollution must not result from the granting of an exemption.
Walk the talk
Ji?í Koželouh, Head of Climate, Energy and Waste at Hnutí DUHA said:
“Minister Hubá?ková inherited illegal official decisions from her predecessor […]. The lawsuits are not directed against her, but the minister is the only one who can correct the previous failure of the state. After all, the government’s program statement also imposes restrictions on emission exemptions. Now is the time to fill it. ”
The situation unfolds under a new coalition government that stated its commitment to restrict exemptions from pollutant emission limits. Thus, it is expected that the Ministry of the Environment would revise this decision. Time to turn words into action!
