press release
2003

CZECH NATIONAL PROPERTY FUND AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY BLUFFED WHEN HANDING OUT 100 MILLION EURO DECONTAMINATION OF SPOLANA

Technology chosen by the UN and World Bank “does not exist” according to Czech offices

Praha, 4 June 2003 -- Czech Environment Minister Libor Ambrozek and the director of the environmental section of the Czech National Property Fund (FNM) Jaroslav Vitek used false arguments when commissioning the multi- billion Crown (100 million Euro) dioxin decontamination at the chemical plant Spolana, 25 km North of Prague, without public tender (1). The Property Fund and the Environment Ministry stressed that they had chosen the firm SITA Bohemia because it had the only possibly technology at its disposal. Greenpeace received documentation that confirms that the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) of the Worldbank together with the Slovak Government, the Industrial Development Agency of the United Nations (UNIDO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will use another, competing technology for the decontamination of the Slovak chemical facility CHEMKO Strazske (2).

“The Slovak government, the World Bank, UNIDO and UNDP confirmed with their decision that Minister Ambrozek and director Vitek misled the public with their arguments, with which they legitimated a billion Crown closed commissioning to SITA Bohemia. We will therefore in the coming days send a supplement to our criminal charges to the police and a reminder to the Anti-Monopoly Office,” explained Greenpeace toxic expert in the Czech Republic, Dr. Miroslav Suta.

Greenpeace warns already for more than a year that the secrecy used by National Property Fund concerning information around legacy contamination and tender processes for decontamination opens the door for corruption. Greenpeace stepped up its warnings from a complaint to the National Property Fund on improper use of confidentiality (3), over a complaint to the Anti-Monopoly Office for breach of fair competition (4), and finally a criminal complaint for improper management of foreign property (5).

“The government will have to end its praxis of commissioning huge public investments without an open tender process still before our access into the European Union,” commented Greenpeace campaign director in the Czech Republic, Jan Haverkamp.

Already for a long time, Greenpeace demands that Spolana secures the contaminated sites against leakage of toxic substances into the environment, and that it decontaminates these areas and buildings safely. During the floods in August 2002, the Elbe River flooded the complete Spolana factory and the company had to admit that thousands of tons of chemical substances had washed into the environment. Greenpeace found around Spolana high concentrations of dioxins that exceeded EU norms several times

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Dr. Miroslav Suta, (Czech, English) Greenpeace toxic expert, mobile: +420.603 443 140, tel.: +420.224 319 667, +420.233 332 289, e-mail: miroslav.suta@cz.greenpeace.org

Internet: http://www.greenpeace.cz/agentorange/index_en.htm

NOTES FOR THE EDITOR:
(1) Jaroslav Vítek, director of the environmental department of the Czech National Property Fund: “The only reliable technology, reliable in praxis, is BCD.” (Source: BBC Czech programme, Dobre rano s BBC, 17 October 2002)

Libor Ambrozek, Czech Minister of the Environment (Christian Democrats): “...on the basis of all kinds of opinions and recommendations this technology appears to be the only possible and available...” (Source: letter from the Minister to vice-president of the Czech National Property Fund on 8. 10. 2002, reference number M/2814/2002)

“... it appeared that other technologies are only in a laboratory phase, which means that they are from that perspective not reliable and are not appropriate for inhabited areas...” (Ceska televize, Spona, 7 December 2002)

(2) The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) of the World Bank decided to support the project for decontamination of toxic substances in the CHEMKO Strazske factory with the use of a non-incineration destruction technique called GPCR for the sum of 10 million US Dollars. The total costs of the decontamination are estimated on more than 20 million USD. The rest of the budget will be financed by the Slovak state, private capital, UN programmes (UNDP and UNIDO) and non-governmental organisations.

(3) The Czech National Property Fund has information on the contamination of Spolana at its disposition since 1992 and signed in 1994 a contract with Spolana on financing of clean-up operations. The Property Fund refused Greenpeace access to information on these contracts and the tender procedures concerning dioxin contamination on the grounds, that none of the laws on access to information is valid for the Fund. Greenpeace therefore filed a complaint for breach of these laws by the Fund at the Town Court in Prague. More information in the Greenpeace Press Release of 2 April and 16 September 2002. (http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/en/020402en.htm, http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/02/020916en.htm)

(4) Greenpeace Press Release of 4 November 2002: “Greenpeace: Decision of the National Property Fund concerning Spolana's dioxin decontamination has to be reviewed by the Anti-Monopoly Office” (http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/02/021104en.htm)

(5) On 7 November 2002 Greenpeace filed a criminal complaint at the High State Prosecutor in Prague on the grounds of commissioning the dioxin decontamination at Spolana without public tender to SITA Bohemia. According to Greenpeace, this constitutes a breach of responsibilities in the management of foreign property as laid down in paragraph 255 of the criminal code. See further: Greenpeace Press Release of 7 November 2002: “Greenpeace: possible fraudulent commissioning of Czech dioxin decontamination under police investigation” (http://www.greenpeace.cz/release/02/021107en.htm)

 

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