The Medical Chamber of Slovenia demands that the government repeal the decree on waste incinerators
The Decree on the Granting of Concessions for Waste Incinerators neglects the environmental and health aspects, the Medical Chamber of Slovenia announced. The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning says that the decree regulates only part of the construction of incinerators and that the legal framework will ensure that all environmental and health standards are met.
The Government of Slovenia has adopted a decree on the granting of concessions for waste incineration plants to improve the waste management system and reduce the costs of exporting waste abroad.
The Medical Chamber of Slovenia said that it is aware that the state must take responsibility for the waste generated and is not against waste incineration. Nevertheless, the activity needs to be properly regulated. The health authority also pointed out that its proposals on the draft decree, sent before its adoption, had not been considered.
The decree was adopted at a session three days before the expiration of all government powers
One of the basic proposals of the Medical Chamber was to make the concession conditional on full compliance with the European Commission’s requirements for incinerators from 2019 or to set at least as strict limit values for the release of toxic substances into the environment as set by the Commission. As a selection criterion, the Chamber also wanted an assessment of the suitability of the location.
The adopted decree allows the granting of concessions for waste incineration before the environmental impact assessment, the chamber announced.
The new government should repeal the regulation and adopt a new one
The Medical Chamber also emphasized that the timeframe for adopting the decree was inappropriate. The law, a strategic decision on waste management in Slovenia, was adopted at a session only three days before the expiration of the government’s full powers, the chamber announced.
It is worth mentioning that Slovenia is expected to get a new government in early June. It will be chaired by the recently appointed Prime Minister Robert Golob, who is known to energy stakeholders from Slovenia and abroad as the long-time President of the Management Board of GEN-I.
The Chamber proposes to the new government to repeal the regulation and adopt a new one, which requires at least full compliance with the requirements of the European Commission from 2019 and an expert assessment of the suitability of the location.
Ministry: the facilities will not endanger the environment and people
The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning said that obtaining a concession will not be enough to operate the incinerator, as the concessionaire will have to carry out procedures for its installation and obtain all the prescribed consents and permits.
The ministry said it would check all the circumstances and impacts in spatial planning procedures with a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA).
It ensures that all procedures are legally required so that the facilities do not endanger the environment and people.
According to the Ministry, spatial planning and air defense procedures are not the subject of a decree, as these procedures are regulated by other laws.
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