A CIVIC organisation that is opposed to the planned construction of an oil pipeline between Slovakia and Austria across Žitný Ostrov, the biggest freshwater reservoir in central Europe, says a leaked document it received sets forth what it called an outrageous route for the pipeline.
“According to information from the material we have, the Bratislava-Schwechat pipeline will lead right below the windows of Bratislava residents,” said Tomáš Mikulec, the vice-chairman of the ‘No to the Pipeline Through Žitný Ostrov’ NGO on October 3, stating that they received the Economy Ministry's document from an anonymous source, the TASR newswire wrote.
According to the NGO, the pipeline, to be built by Slovakia’s Transpetrol company and Austria’s OMV, would run along Bratislava’s Einsteinova street in Petržalka in one variant, and along Dolnozemská street in a second variant.
“Both routes endanger water resources,” said Mikulec, adding that neither variant is acceptable to the NGO.
Slovakia’s Economy Ministry responded that none of the ten proposed routes for the pipeline goes via Žitný Ostrov and that it has met the requirements it promised, adding that the ministry’s top priority is energy security for Slovakia.
“Slovakia has to secure its energy security in all respects,” said Economy Ministry spokesperson Daniela Piršelová, as quoted by TASR. “Simultaneously we want to prevent draining of the 400-km-long Druzhba pipeline. Thus, interconnection of the pipeline with Austria is inevitable.”
The Slovak government said the pipeline’s final route has not been decided and the cabinet is only scheduled to discuss a feasibility study on the project.
10. Oct 2011 at 0:00 | Compiled by Spectator staff
