The ministry approved the study for the dam in Nové Heřminovy

Nové Heřminovy (Bruntál Region) - The Ministry of the Environment has approved the EIA study assessing the impacts of the planned dam in Nové Heřminovy in the Bruntál Region on the environment. Consent was necessary for the continuation of design and preparatory work. CTK informed about this today, citing the company Povodí Odry. Representatives of the Hnutí Duha Jeseníky stated that the ministry gave the green light to begin construction despite the disapproval of the municipality and significant comments made by the municipality and civic associations.
     The Technical Director of Povodí Odry, Petr Březina, said that construction of the dam could start in 2016 or 2017. "Now we will strive to achieve a zoning decision and subsequently a building permit," Březina said.
     In addition to the dam, the construction also includes adjustments to the flow of the Opava River all the way to Krnov. "There we are striving for a nature-friendly solution, which can also be financed from the Operational Programme for the Environment," said Březina. According to him, by the end of next year, Povodí Odry could start revitalizing the Opava in sections between Zátor and Brantice and Brantice and the Krnov part of Kostelec. The dam will require significantly longer project preparation.
     The mayor of Nové Heřminovy, Radek Sijka, stated that the municipality submitted 17 comments, but none were taken into account. "State officials act as if this were a greenfield project and this municipality did not exist at all. Over the years, the municipality has not been privy to any important decisions, no one has invited it, and no one has consulted with it. When we finally had a chance to enter something, our comments seemed to not exist," Sijka said.
     According to the ministry's statement, the economic impacts on the municipality are addressed through buyouts and compensations. "The municipality is provided with a number of compensatory measures within the preparation of the project ensuring both the possibility of territorial development and the implementation or reconstruction of infrastructure," the statement indicates.
     The dam, which is meant to protect towns and villages on the Opava River from flooding, will inundate around fifty buildings, including 16 residential houses and 21 recreational buildings. Povodí Odry is already buying the buildings; about 20 people have already moved out of the municipality because of this. Nové Heřminovy now has over 270 inhabitants.
     The coordinator of Hnutí Duha Jeseníky, Ivo Dokoupil, stated that the ministry completely ignored the fact that the EIA documentation lacks any other alternatives for flood protection measures, and only the option accounting for the construction of the dam is being examined. "The environmental impact assessment process, however, should, according to law, be processed for several alternatives, and from these, the one that has the least environmental impact should be selected. We are convinced that more environmentally friendly alternatives exist; they were just not addressed by the ministry or the designer," Dokoupil stated in a press release.
     The zoning decision that will follow will be contested by the movement at the administrative court, according to Dokoupil. "It will certainly evaluate the EIA assessment as unlawful precisely because of the absolute absence of alternatives in the documentation," Dokoupil stated. Mayor Sijka said the municipality fully identifies with Hnutí Duha's position and, with the help of a law office, will do everything possible to prevent the construction.
     The construction of the reservoir in Nové Heřminovy has been debated for several decades. It became pressing again after the catastrophic floods in Moravia and Silesia in 1997. The government ultimately chose a smaller option. The Ministry of Agriculture estimates costs of nearly eight billion korunas. For this amount, the dam and a new road should be constructed, but the price also includes other adjustments to the entire riverbed.