Tisková zpráva - 20 ledna, 2010
Workers of the Prague headquarters of CEZ Group were greeted by an unusual sight today: 19 people under the windows began to dye the melting snow black and yellow to symbolise the impacts that the carbon and sulphur emissions of Prunerov have on the local environment. Activists also erected a smokestack and displayed a banner with the inscription “Do not save money at the expense of the health of Northern Bohemia!” Members of the 'Chomutov - under the lid of CEZ' Association – along with Greenpeace and the Environmental Law Service - wanted in an understandable way to tell the company management that they reject the plans to extend the operation of the plant for the next 25 years using outdated and inefficient technology.
The snow beneath CEZ's windows has turned black. Because of Prunerov.
Prunerov coal-fired power plant is the largest source of Czech greenhouse gas emissions as well as harmful sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides. If CEZ, for economic reasons, refuses to increase the net thermal efficiency by a further 10% and reduce pollution, it means amongst other things, that it wants to save money at the expense of the health of local people. Members of the Chomutov Association, Greenpeace and Environmental Law Service hope that in the coming days the Ministry of the Environment will issue a negative statement on a plan for the renewal and extension of the lifetime of the plant.
Marketa Plechata of the Chomutov Association said today, "CEZ must not jeopardize our health just to save money. There are only two reasonable options: either CEZ uses the best available technology at Prunerov or the plant closes as quickly as possible. Employing the same technology as at the nearby Ledvice coal-fired power station would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by half a million tonnes per year (i.e. twice the emissions of all passenger cars in the Karlovy Vary region) as well as equivalent reductions of pollution by nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides.
The district of Chomutov, in which Prunerov is located, suffers the highest concentrations of sulphur oxides in Bohemia. Perhaps that is why nearly three thousand local people signed the petition "We do not want scrap at Prunerov". The latest poll shows that almost two thirds of people want ČEZ to reconstruct Prunerov II coal-fired power plant using the best available technology, even at higher costs.
Jan Rovensky of Greenpeace said today, "It appears that CEZ has decided to take Northern Bohemia hostage. Ever since autumn, the Ministry of Environment has been threatened that if they don't agree with this inadequate modernisation, CEZ will not reduce emissions at all and will continue to operate Prunerov in the same way as it was done in the 80's. We sincerely hope that the Minister will not cave in to such blackmail.”
"Martin Roman should realize that the harsh enforcement of outdated technology in the reconstruction of Prunerov endangers not only local people and citizens of developing countries affected by climate change, but also the international reputation of his company. He presents CEZ as being corporately responsible but so far the attitude towards the Prunerov project hasn't shown such responsibility", said lawyer Jiri Nezhyba of Environmental Law Services.
The proposed reconstruction of Prunerov has recently been reported in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph and Gazeta Wyborzca, amongst others.