Company's Plans Discussed in Municipality

Giedrė KARSOKIENĖ

Last week Emilija Jelisejevienė, Manager of the Environmental Department of ‘Swedspan Girių Bizonas', and Vytautas Belickas, representative of SWECO LIETUVA and Project Manager, presented an environmental impact assessment programme to municipal council members. We had a talk with Emilija Jelisejevienė about the construction plans of a new bio-plant and what had been presented to council members.

You presented the construction plans of the bio-plant. How did it go?

We were invited by the Mayor to a meeting to make a presentation of the planned biofuel power plant and the development of environmental impact assessment programme. In principle, we heard no objections regarding our plans. In fact this is only an initial step towards environmental procedures, with the programme being presented – i.e. how environmental impact will be assessed. There is still a long path to go and much to be done until the launch of construction of the bio-plant.

What does the company need a new bio-plant for? Is it a supplementary energy facility?

The planned biofuel power plant is not a new supplementary energy facility to emerge among others. The new power plant (82 MW) will replace existing thermal energy production facilities and those located in detached premises (a gas burner, power plant, thermal oil heater, gas and water boiler) in order to quit using fossil fuels (natural gas) and replace it with biofuel. With the removal of the above energy facilities, fewer stationary sources of ambient air pollution will remain in the company's territory.

Is the new construction related to production capacity expansion?

The construction of the biofuel power plant is not related to production capacity expansion.

What else were the council members interested in?

We had enquiries about transport and scrap burning. What concerns transport, the environmental impact report will analyse the future situation in detail and provide answers about the impact. What concerns scrap burning, with high-temperature combustion, most organic compounds completely degrade to produce final products of combustion.The environmental impact report will thoroughly analyse the above aspects and, if needed, provide intended tools for reducing the impact to ensure proper ambient air quality.

And would you provide heat for the town?

It was already in the working group meeting back in March that a possibility of providing excess heat to the residents of Kazlų Rūda was discussed. This issue was not touched during the meeting with the council members.

The residents treat the construction of the new bio-plant differently. What would you tell those who oppose it?

During the meeting with the council members an anonymous complaint regarding allegedly increased overnight pollution, as if the filters turned off, was remembered. We emphasise, during this meeting and always, that our objective is not production at the lowest cost, so our special focus is on environmental tools. Computer systems that register operational parameters of the facilities are used in monitoring the production process so we are aware of what is going on in production at any time.We understand the sensitivity of the issue and are open for discussion. However, we think population morbidity, its connection to production, etc. should be based on facts. I will remind you that an investigation was launched after an article in the national press reporting that our company pollutes air, due to which the quality of life had worsened a lot. The investigation material includes the testimony of the director of one of the primary health care centres stating that the company's activity and increased morbidity of respiratory and oncological diseases cannot be interconnected. The conclusion of the investigation confirms that morbidity of respiratory and oncological diseases cannot be in any way singled out from the general statistics of the country and that it has actually increased in other towns of Lithuania as well.
We are not the same company that operated here 20, 15, or 10 years ago. We work following other standards and have another type of understanding, maintaining a different relation to environment and the residents. We have conscious, public-spirited and active neighbours behind the fence – the town's residents, and we are fully aware that we can stay side by side only if we avoid disturbing and make no harm to others. It is exactly what we are doing.

You were planning to hold the Doors Open Days. Maybe then will people see in what ways and how much the old BIZONAS has changed?

There will surely be the Doors Open Day for the residents of Kazlų Rūda and those interested. We had already planned to hold the Doors Open Day and announced it but as the holiday season swings into gear we can see this undertaking to receive more attention and attendance if held later, towards autumn.We made such a decision also because of the construction works in the territory and the area is being covered in asphalt as well as storage locations are being rearranged. It is nice to have guests at orderly home. The Doors Open Day will definitely be held and we hope it will capture much attention from the residents of Kazlų Rūda.

Thank you for the interview.

The interview was published in ‘Kazlų Rūdos laikraštis'.