LNG TERMINAL IN TRIESTE: THE EIA DECREE IS STILL PENDING – Originally published by Greenaction Transnational: LINK
IF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WON’T SIGN THE EIA’S WITHDRAWAL WITHIN MARCH 19th, SPANISH COMPANY GAS NATURAL’S PROJECT MAY BE GREEN-LIT BY THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE COURT FOR LAZIO
Is this the usual Italian foolery, or something worse?
Spanish Company Gas Natural’s LNG terminal in Zaule (port of Trieste) is hung, but not yet cancelled.
On December 27th, 2012, the Italian Minister for the Environment, Corrado Clini, re-opened the E.I.A. (Environmental Impact Assessment) procedure; upon request of the President of the Trieste Port Authority, Marina Monassi, on April 18th, 2013 the Ministry for the Environment suspended the E.I.A. for 6 months. Gas Natural, the proposing company, is requested to find an alternate location for its LNG terminal.
Indeed, reopening the procedure revealed the incompatibility of the project and its initial location: the industrial port. The area already hosts the strategic SIOT oil terminal, which serves Central Europe, and the LNG terminal would prevent further commercial development.
Not to mention the significant questions on security, greatly underestimated in the first assessment, which ended with a positive opinion on the project. It is not easy placing some LNG terminal right next the Mediterranean’s main oil, the flow of which is rising and strategic for Central Europe.
Furthermore, the LNG terminal would have hampered the port’s true wealth: TEUs market, which is (finally) on the raise. It two such dangerous fuel terminals were to coexist, safety regulations would mandate severe limitations for port activities.
As soon as the 6 month term expired (October 18th, 2013) Gas Natural failed to submit the requested documentation. Instead, it impugned the Ministry’s E.I.A. suspension decree before the Regional Adminsitrative Court for Lazio.
At that point, it was reasonable for the Italian Ministry of the Environment signing a decree to withdraw the E.I.A. for good, ultimately removing the project from the table. But the new minister for the Environment, Andrea Orland, wouldn’t sign it. All while the Adminsitrative Court scheduled the first hearing on March 19th, 2014.
At this point, if the new Minister for the Environment (yes, Italy changed Government once again!) won’t sign the suspension decree before the hearing, the Regional Adminsitrative Court for Lazio may declare the decree null and void. This would allow Gas Natural to build its dangerous LNG terminal. Only, that would be in an international Free Port which doesn’t belong to Italy. Maybe this really is Italian foolery after all.