Case: Waste Processing Plant in the village Mezyrichya
Residents of Mezyrichya versus Chervonograd city council

Region: Ukraine, Lviv oblast

Essence of case: Protection of the right to safe and healthy environment, right to participation in environmental decision-making

Parties: Residents of Mezyrichya – plaintiffs
Chervonograd city council – defendant

Essence of problem: Suspension of the construction of the plant of the high danger for environment before publication of the Environmental Impact Statement, adoption of the positive EIA

Main facts:

On May, 2002, the construction of the waste processing plant and the solid municipal wastes landfill. When residents saw the construction activities and get to know the object of construction, they worried about the possible negative impact on their living conditions. Nobody notified residents about the above-mentioned construction and environmental impact of this activity. At the moment of starting the construction activities, the Environmental Impact Statement was not published. This is required by the Law of Ukraine “On Environmental Expertiza”.

The construction of the plant was started without an approval of boundaries of the land plot by the Mezyrichya village council and without the positive statement of the state environmental expertiza.

In order to declare the construction illegal and to stop the construction of the plant and the solid municipal wastes landfill, the residents applied to the Chervonograd city court.

The construction was suspended without consideration of the complaint. In August, the Chervonograd city council published the Environmental Impact Statement for the waste processing plant, the Chervonograd city council filed materials of the project documentation of the above-mentioned plant and landfill for the environmental expertiza, and addressed the Mezyrichya village council in order to clear the boundaries of the land plot.