The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) accepted the Information from the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry on the identified needs for launching an initiative to the Council of Ministers of BiH for the protection of the interests of the FBiH from the consequences of the construction of the Hydro Power Plant “Ulog” in the Republika Srpska (RS) and seven small Hydro Power Plants, which make up the Upper Neretva hydropower system.
The information contains the chronology of the actions of federal institutions since 2009, when the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture received the first official information about the Hydro Power Plant “Ulog” construction project, after which, through written correspondence, an initiative was launched on several occasions to ensure public participation in the processes of issuing water acts in the field of water according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the RS. It was stated that the competent authorities for Water management of the FBiH never received the required documentation in order to use the legal provision, namely the provision of Article 129, paragraph 3 of the Law on Waters of the RS, which stipulates that “if in the process of adopting a water law act, and especially water guidelines, it is established that there are reasons from which it follows that an activity located or taking place on the territory of the RS will have a negative impact on water resources on the territory of the FBiH, the competent authority of the RS, before passing the water law act, will obtain the opinion of the competent authority of the FBiH”.
Taking into account the available information, there are reasonable indications that the construction and use of Hydro Power Plant “Ulog” will have a harmful effect on the territory of the municipality of Konjic in the FBiH, as well as on the Emerald network. Moreover, extensive geological and geotectonic research has not been carried out, without which there is a justified suspicion that the construction of this facility may endanger the safety of the population and material assets downstream in the Neretva Valley. It was also pointed out that hydrological measurements were not performed adequately.
With the aim of finding the best solution in order to prevent the consequences that the construction of Hydro Power Plants in the territory of the RS has on the state of water and the environment as a whole downstream in the FBiH, in accordance with this Information and the established situation, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture proposed a conclusion to the Government of the FBiH, which was adopted yesterday.
The Government of the FBiH will send this information to the Council of Ministers of BiH as an initiative to resolve the issue of the impact of the construction of the Hydro Power Plant “Ulog” and the Upper Neretva hydropower system on the state of water and the environment in the FBiH, Biznis Info reports.
E.Dz.
