Environmental agreements for the construction of four small hydro plants in Tarcu Mountains cancelled by the court

Environmental agreements issued by the Environmental Protection Agency Caras-Severin for the construction of four small hydro power plants (SHP) in the Tarcu Mountains were cancelled by the Timisoara Court of Appeals, the decision being final, according to Mediafax

2015-12-06 13:47:18 - From the Print Edition

According to a release issued to the newswire, in mid-November by the Coalitia Natura 2000 Romania Federation, the Tarcu Mountains "were rescued from destruction" due to the court decision. The Coalitia Natura 2000 Romania Federation sued the Ministry of Environment after the Environmental Protection Agency Caras-Severin issued in 2014 environmental agreements for the construction of small hydro power plants on the Bistra Marului, Sucu and Olteana rivers, which are part of the Natura 2000 Tarcu Mountains site.
"The Federation has obtained final and irrevocable sentence in the lawsuit against the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests on the cancellation of the environmental approvals for energy projects on the Sucu-Olteana and Bistra Marului rivers from the Natura 2000 Tarcu Mountains site," read the press release. "This sentence prevents the development of SHP proposed by Alset Energy and inadequately endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency Caras-Severin. Thus, the Natura 2000 Tarcu Mountains site – a protected area at European level - has been saved from the destruction of ichtyofauna and bordering habitats, typically caused by such ′green projects′." The Coalitia Natura 2000 Romania Federation stresses that the environment and biodiversity have won against the "investors that abuse their influence and power in the pursuit of immediate gains."