Croatia: Green halt HPP Ombla

Request for the construction of the hydroelectric power plant Ombla was rejected, confirmed the environmental protection minister Zmajlovic..

The request was rejected because the procedure of major assessment of acceptability conditions of the environment impact determined that it is not possible to exclude negative impacts or to enforce mitigation measures that would have reduced them to an acceptable level.

Area Ombla spring is very specific, very rare in terms of biodiversity is very important. On the other hand, the impact of the Ombla Hydropower Plant on the Croation energy system would be negligible.

For me as Minister is important that I am allowed to be at peace, despite the tremendous media pressure. The attitude of this government is that environmental protection and economic growth can go together – and to show concrete examples. If this is not possible, if a procedure is not possible without permanent damage to the environment, then they should not allow. This decision we show that do not succumb to pressure or lobbying rather than re-evaluating whether something is possible without compromising the nature or is not possible with the highest environmental standards – said Minister  Zmajlovic.