A public activist criticized the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strelts for depriving citizens of real mechanisms of protection from the influence of polluting enterprises.
Tetyana Lampika, a member of the public council at the Ministry of Environment and the head of the executive body of the public order protection organization “Environmental Patrol”, told about it in a video on her Facebook page.
The activist noted that the web resource and application “EcoUgroza” publicized by the Minister have not really become an effective tool that helps to respond to real environmental threats. According to her, the ecoinspectorate does not go out to inspect citizens' reports of violations – the Ministry of Natural Resources simply does not respond to the submitted applications.
“In essence, this [the creation of the “EcoThreat” platform – ed.] is a PR campaign by Mr. Strelets and in fact the environmental inspectorate [with its help – ed.] cannot respond to citizens’ complaints,” says Tatyana Lampika.
Another mechanism for citizens to influence violations in the field of environmental protection and bring those responsible to justice, developed by the ministry and loudly announced to the public, was the submission of an application to the Ministry of Natural Resources from any individual, says a member of the public council. But, according to her, a citizen must add evidence to his application that there is a dangerous impact on the environment.
“The public, even though it does not have special knowledge, had to prove to the ministry that a violation was taking place. That is, they dumped the functions of the State Environmental Inspectorate on the public, which provides evidence in its application,” the activist was indignant.
Under this mechanism, this statement should become the basis for the ministry to grant the environmental inspectorate permission to conduct an inspection, she says.
The activist recalled that the State Environmental Inspectorate does not currently have the right to conduct inspections, since there is a moratorium on them imposed by the Cabinet of Ministers.
“The ministry did everything to take on the functions of inspections and carry out high-profile inspections, as Mr. Minister did,” she is sure.
In the end, Tatyana Lampika stated that the environmental inspectorate’s hands are tied when it comes to conducting inspections of enterprises.
At the end of July, EcoPolitic learned the opinions of experts on whether the Ministry of Natural Resources is capable of implementing the European integration reform of industrial pollution. However, many of them expressed serious doubts about the successful implementation of eco-modernization of Ukrainian enterprises under the leadership of the current Minister Ruslan Strelets.
We also analyzed the speed at which the Ministry issues licenses for hazardous waste management and calculated that at this rate licensing will continue another 5 years.
