Green Action activists protested outside the Construction and Physical Planning Ministry on Tuesday against the construction of the Plomin C coal-fired thermal power plant which they say is contrary to Croatia's Physical Planning Strategy.
Activist Toni Vidan told reporters the construction of a 500 megawatt plant was in contravention of the Strategy and the existing county physical plan which, he said, clearly stated that only a 125 megawatt gas power plant could be built in the Plomin area.
Vidan said that in order to sidestep the incompatibility with the physical plan, the ministry had decided to label the project as the "reconstruction of the complex Plomin facility." He warned that this set a precedent "which any investor can abuse and completely sidestep existing restrictions in physical planning documents."
The Green Action called on the government and the Environment and Nature Protection Ministry to dismiss such interpretations.
Asked if this was related to the recent replacement of Mirela Holy as environment and nature protection minister, Vidan said the connection was obvious.
Addressing the activists, Deputy Construction and Physical Planning Minister Ana Mrak Taritas said the ministry had received no request for a development permit for Plomin C and that no request could be submitted before an environmental impact study was made. "If the solution is acceptable, a development permit will be issued, if it isn't, it won't," she said.
