Finnish Court Backs Hydropower Plan to Flood Wetland
3/3/00
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Title: Finnish Court Backs Hydropower Plan to Flood Wetland
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: March 3, 2000
HELSINKI, Finland, March 3, 2000 (ENS) - Finland's water courts have
granted permission for state owned electricity generator Kemijoki to
construct a controversial hydropower station at Vuotos in eastern
Lapland.
The plan would create a 237 square kilometre (92 square mile)
reservoir, which would drown Kemihaara Mires, an extensive area of
wetland above the Arctic Circle. It was originally included in
Finland's Natura 2000 nominated protected areas but later withdrawn
by a government working group.
However, in their ruling Tuesday, the courts imposed a condition that
construction work could not begin before NGO appeals against the
scheme are dealt with by Finland's supreme administrative court,
which could take over two years.
The Finnish Environment Ministry said that it, too, would appeal
against the court ruling on the grounds that the Kemihaara Mires
should be included in a list of sites to be proposed this autumn to
extend Finland's Natura 2000 network.
The ministry's opposition is linked to European Commission threats to
take Finland to court for failure to comply with the European Union
birds and habitats laws by excluding the wetlands from their Natura
2000 nominations.
Natura 2000 is the name given to the European Union wide network of
nature conservation sites designated, or to be designated, under two
EU Directives: one dealing with the Conservation of Wild Birds
(adopted in 1979) and one with the Conservation of Natural Habitats
and Species (1992).
The sites designated under the birds directive and habitats directive
receive strict legal protection from unsustainable utilization. These
sites are expected to eventually cover a substantial percentage of
the territory of the European Union, especially in southern and far-
northern Europe, where there is a much greater area of remaining
natural or semi-natural habitat than in other parts of the EU.
Both the ministry and conservationists hope the higher courts will
overturn the water courts' decision. The Swedish regional
environmental authorities have also contacted the Finnish water
courts to urge abandonment of the hydropower development.
The proposed reservoir would greatly increase the electricity
generating capacity of power stations owned by Kemijoki along the
Kemi River, and has support from local authorities.
The opinions of local people are divided. Reindeer herders will lose
important grazing land, while fish in the reservoir and downstream
may be inedible for up to 15 years due to mercury contamination.
Drowning the area is also expected to exacerbate eutrophication
problems in the Kemi River and the shallow Gulf of Bothnia.
Eutrophication means the bodies of water become overloaded with
nutrients and deficient in oxygen.
{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's
choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd,
London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk}