Micronesia blasts coal plants

The Environment Ministry says time is running out to meet a Micronesian demand for a Transboundary Environment Impact Assessment (TEIA) on the expansion of the coal power plant at Prunéřov in northwest Bohemia.

In a statement to The Prague Post, the ministry said it would "try to incorporate Micronesia in the process."

The statement comes after the Federated States of Micronesia challenged plans to extend the Czech Republic's biggest coal-fired power plant on the basis that they would be further endangered by its carbon dioxide emissions.

Micronesia wants the Czech authorities to carry out a TEIA of plans by ČEZ to extend the coal-fired power station, which emits 10 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

The request is historic - and a possible harbinger of things to come as the planet warms. It is the first such request taken on behalf of current or future climate-change victims. Micronesia wants to see what impact the increase of emissions from the extended operation of the plant will have on the climate and on small Pacific island states.

Assessments across sovereign borders are not uncommon, but what makes this unique is the distance between the two countries and that it takes into consideration not just present inhabitants but generations yet unborn.

If Micronesia succeeds, it may set a global precedent that could inspire other countries most seriously affected by the impact of climate change to defend themselves and demand assessments on power plants across the world.

"Currently, there is an ongoing standard assessment project," ministry spokesperson Petra Roubíčková said. "It is almost over, and the ministry is obliged by law to issue an EIA statement in January 2010. Doing a Transboundary EIA would mean going through the whole process again, and there is unfortunately no longer time for it. But we will try to satisfy Micronesia and ? ask them to send their comments as soon as possible. We will try to incorporate Micronesia into the process to address their comments."

The low-lying Micronesian islands, located in the Pacific Ocean north of New Guinea, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, especially by rising ocean levels.

"Climate change is a global issue, and people whose lives, health and property are threatened by emissions from our industrial businesses have the right to seek a global solution," said Jan Rovno, head of climate and energy at Greenpeace in Prague. "Prunéřov emits 40 times more than the entire annual emissions of Micronesia. Greenpeace considers it important to give communities and nations directly threatened by climate change a chance to defend themselves by legal means against those who harm the climate, wherever they are. We support the request of Micronesia for an international assessment of Prunéřov."

- Petr Cibulka Jr. contributed to this report.

Tom Clifford can be reached at
tclifford@praguepost.com