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PRESS RELEASE
Oct. 23, 1998
ÇANAKKALE
It is a well known and widely accepted fact that the fluidized-bed coal power plant planned to be built at Çan, Çanakkale, will do more harm than good. The contract for this plant was signed recently.
Considering this fact, Çanakkale Environmental Platform was founded by those who care about leaving the future generations a livable world with the forests, agricultural produce, ground waters and surface waters, the sea, historical, natural and national parks and human beings that we have borrowed from them.
Rio Summit Final Declaration Article 10 says "At the national level, each individual will be entitled to have access to information that the authorities hold and WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE DECISION MAKING PROCESS." Governments will facilitate and support the public participation process by makin the information accessable.
Today the thousands of signatures, against the building of Canakkale Can Coal Power Plant without consulting the people of Çanakkale, without complying with the necessary legal procedures and with the approval of a few people, are being sent to Ministries of Energy and Natural Resources, Environment, Forests, Culture, Health.
We believe that whatever technology is used fossil fueled power plants have inevitable negative impacts on human health and the nature.
Our country and Çanakkale have endless possibilities in alternative energy resources which should be exploited.
It is a crime to build such a power plant in Çanakkale with its three Natural and National (Troya, Gallipoli, and Ida Mountain) Parks. Çanakkale also has the highest percentage of forest areas in our country.
Saying that thousands of people will have jobs when the power plant is built is nothing but fooling the people. Who will pay for the losses of those who loose thier food, land, water, forest and health? Would the Minister of Energy Mr. Cumhur Ersumer take this responsibility?
We want to be sure that the related Ministries will not ignore this crime and they will do their jobs by consulting the thousands of local people in the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure. We are using our right to participate in the decision making process. We say that Ida Mountains are a world heritage. Let us protect it.
NO FOSSIL FUELLED POWER PLANTS!
IDA MOUNTAINS ARE A WORLD HERITAGE.
ÇANAKKALE ENVIRONMENTAL PLATFORM
Lawyer D. Nazan KURAL - Term Spokesperson
Çanakkale Local agenda 21 Office
Belediye İş Merkezi No: 70 17100 Çanakkale-TURKEY
T: ++90 286 2177816 / 2177587
PRESS RELEASE
Participants of the Çanakkale Envonmental Platform used their right of individual application and opened a court case at the Bursa administrative Court on Sept. 8, 1998, to stop the 2x160 MW coal power plant planned and contracted to be built at Çan, Çanakkale.
In the document submitted to the court it was stated that if this plant is built an area with a radius of 70 km. at Galipolli and the Biga Peninsula will be effected; the earth with its porous structure has already lost its fertility due to acid rain, so the farmers and the people of the 193 forest villages around Çanakkale are facing the danger of loosing their homes and their means to make a living. Çanakkale, having 500 000 ha. of agricultural and forest area, provides around 10% of the vegetables and fruits produced in Turkey. It is wrong to choose Çan and Ida Mountains for this power plant, since the region already suffers from pollution carried from Europe and Istanbul by the dominant northeastern winds. Forests and plants show signs of acid burns due to acid rains. It was also stated that fly ash including radioactive substances and heavy metals will be spread around the stack along with the flue gas; remaining ash will be stored with the other solid waste in a dam for ashe and lime; heavy metals that will be carried from this dam and mix with ground water will poison the sea and the artificial and natural lakes; Çanakkale drinking water and the Atik Hisar Dam that provides irrigation for the plains of eight villages including Kepez; the porosity of the earth will accellerate the pollution; cooling water will be taken from the Kocabaş Stream and will create thermal pollution when returned as hot water, ruining the ecological balance irreversibly; acidic water from the steam generator along with toxic chemicals will be an additional source of pollution. It was also stated that Çanakkale is in an area which is most prone to earthquakes (of the first degree).
Besides, fluidised bed coal power plant technology is not appropriate to be used with the Çan coal that has a sulphur content of 1-9% and the contract was signed without complying with the necessary legal procedures; without preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment; and without the necessary "plant permit" and the "emmission permit" from the Ministry of Health. Moreover, considering the possible damage that the Çan Coal Power Plant will do to human health, environment, agriculture, and to the natural, cultural, touristic and social values, it is understood that it will do more harm than good. So, it is necessary to make an damage-cost analysis and calculate the alternative (ecological, social) costs.
Sincerely Yours,
Çanakkale Environmental Platform
Term Spokesperson
Lawyer Nazan KURAL
Address: Çarşı Cad. No.25 Daire: 6
17100 Çanakkale-TURKEY
Tel-Fax: ++90-286-212 25 14
Update - December 1998
NOTE: THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT RECENTLY REJECTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PREPARED FOR TEAS (the Utility) BY TUBITAK (Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Authority) DUE TO THE FACT
THAT IT WAS INADEQUATE.
