Environmentalists have inspected Vilniaus Vandenis: a fine of 7 million euros is threatened by contamination

Environmentalists have recently charged Vilniaus Vandenys € 7 million in excess pollution taxes for five years of undeclared floor contamination. These are preliminary inspection results that are subject to change. Vilniaus Vandenys claims that such taxes are illegal.

At the end of last year and this year, environmentalists identified more problems in Vilnius’ waters: from discharging noisy plastic waste to the Neris to exceeding the amount of other pollutants discharged into the river and unsealed emergency lines.

Vilniaus Vandenys is a municipal company. It is administered by the city of Vilnius and the municipalities of the Šalčininkai, Švenčionys and Vilnius district.

Decide 7 million euros in pollution taxes.

Environmentalists are currently deciding whether to impose “regulatory pollution” on Vilnius waters for undeclared pollution taxes in 2014-2018 with plastic softening chemicals: phthalates. According to scientists, this substance can be dangerous for the human body. 15 minutes According to the preliminary results of the inspection, the amount of pollution taxes charged to the municipal company amounted to more than 7 million euros.

The final decision has not yet been made by environmentalists. Jurgita Jasiūnienė, Representative of the Department of Environmental Protection 15 minutes stated that the explanations provided by Vilniaus Vandenai are currently being evaluated.

“Our goal is to be an open and transparent body, but given the current legal framework that limits our ability to provide inspection information to the media to other non-inspectors until the inspection is complete, we can only confirm at this time that The inspection you mentioned Regarding UAB Vilniaus vandenys is being carried out, but has not yet been completed.

Therefore, we cannot disclose the data requested in your first question at this stage. As you correctly noted, the company has sent its comments to the preliminary conclusion of the inspection, therefore, only after evaluating all the data collected and receiving the company’s comments will a final decision be made, ”responds the Department of Environmental Protection. .

Deputy Environment Minister Justina Grigaravičienė previously told the BNS news agency that according to the law, the fine for undeclared non-regulatory pollution is 50 times higher than the usual fine.

Marius Švaikauskas, the head of Vilniaus Vandenai 15 minutes He stated that he disagreed categorically with the taxes collected by environmentalists and, if the decision was not changed, he intended to challenge it in court.

“Yes, the project writes that amount of more than 7 million undeclared and unpaid taxes for this increase in contamination by phthalates and phenols. However, these contaminants were never evaluated by the authorities, although the data was available. And that data that we provide to them every year, the monitoring program recorded for us to track and provide that data.

Before the inspections, both the Ministry of the Environment and all subordinate agencies took the position that sewage plants could not clean the phthalates, so there is no need to prohibit discharges. And it is never required to include this contaminant in the contamination permit. And we even have a letter that says to Kėdainiai: there is no need to withdraw [į taršos leidimą] of this pollutant in 2018. That is what we have to pay, if our permit does not have it, do we not have to get involved? And it says you hid that pollutant and we multiplied by fifty. Although we provided the agency with this data and the agency itself was still investigating. We are now built with an unenviable reputation. I’m not even talking about financial damages, we will really win in court, “said M. Švaikauskas.

He stated that from now on “Vilniaus vandenys” will include phthalates in his pollution permit and will pay for this pollutant: “As soon as the agency says: you must get involved in the pollutant and pay for it, we immediately involve it unequivocally and have applied it to the agency , that includes and establishes limit values. Although with this version, since there were phthalates, we never contaminate, we never exceeded the limit values. <...> It cannot be so, it cannot retroactively claim what was not required. And multiplying by fifty.

M. Švaikauskas said that other water management companies in large cities have previously received smaller but similar sanctions.

Visits to the Minister of the Environment and the Director of the Environment.

While the Department of Environmental Protection is deciding additional taxes on pollution for Vilnius Waters, the head of this company, M. Švaikauskas, visited the Minister for the Environment Kęstutis Mažeikas and the acting head of the Department of Environmental Protection Olga Vėbrienė.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Department said the environmentalists’ investigation was not affected.

“The Head of the Department of Environmental Protection had met with the representatives of UAB Vilniaus vandenys, and the meetings were publicly announced on the Director’s agendas. During the meetings, the situation and possible solutions were discussed. We would like to point out that the Department of Environmental Protection adopts a coherent position that the company must guarantee that the wastewater discharged into the environment complies with the requirements for wastewater discharges established in the Wastewater Management Regulation. .

We can firmly ensure that the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania or his subordinate employees have not attempted to influence the results of the inspection in any way, ”the Department of Environmental Protection said in a comment.

M. Švaikauskas stated that he intended to continue talking to politicians about the situation.

“I went to meet with the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the Head of the Environment Department and the Head of the Agency, and I will continue to do so, if the situation does not change, I will go to the Seimas Committee and ask the Prime Minister why the situation is inadequate” . M. Švaikauskas spoke.

When asked if the Minister had asked for a reduction in taxes imposed by environmentalists, M. Švaikauskas replied that his objective was not to reduce the fine, but to eliminate it: “We are not asking for a reduction in anything, we are saying: sit down, people . Why reduce? We are not guilty or do anything punishable. What could that reduction be? We say: follow the law, the criteria of reason, people. “

Nitrogen emissions to Neris are exceeded for many years.

There were more problems in Vilnius Waters. In December of last year and in March of this year, environmentalists conducted two unscheduled inspections in Vilnius Waters. During both inspections, it was established that the amounts of pollutants emitted by the company: nitrogen and phosphorous in the wastewater exceed the average permitted amounts specified in the pollution permit, the conditions of the permit and the requirements of the Environmental Protection.

“Total polluting nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants is not treated according to the established standard,” show the findings of the environmental inspection.

J. Jasiūnienė, a representative of the Department of Environmental Protection, stated that additional charges for this contamination were calculated for Vilniaus Vandeniai.

“In some cases, nitrogen and phosphorous levels were exceeded. <...> For the exceeded amounts of pollutants, an environmental pollution tax was calculated at a higher rate, which the company paid, ”is written in the comment by the Department of Environmental Protection.

M. Švaikauskas, the head of Vilniaus Vandenai, stated that only instantaneous (non-annual) amounts of phosphorus are exceeded. And nitrogen emissions have been exceeded for many years.

The water quality of the Neris river after discharge from the Vilnius treatment plant becomes poor or very poor, which can affect the salmonid population.

“It just came to our attention then. In 2016, it seems to me that there was much more doubling or tripling of regulatory contamination. As far as possible, we adjusted these old facilities for biological treatment. It’s that contamination, but we paid for it. From 2013, attempts have been made to rebuild this infrastructure facility, and now there is a final stage with our potential contractor, we evaluate their qualifications, then we will give a contract to the government and we hope that this wastewater treatment plant is rebuilt and there is no instantaneous contamination nitrogen or phosphorous in the future. The only way out is to rebuild this treatment plant, “said M. Švaikauskas.

He stated that Vilniaus Vandenys pays about 30 thousand euros a year for exceeding the amount of nitrogen emitted.

The conclusions of the environmental study indicate that the Vilnius water treatment plant affects the state of Neris: “The quality of the water in the Neris river after discharge from the Vilnius treatment plant becomes poor or very poor, which can affect the salmonid population. “

M.Švaikauskas states that this is not related to the “Vilna waters”, and that the condition of the Neris river is not the same elsewhere: “And where is the proof? Why then does the damage not count? Yes the river hits, we would pay the damage. “

The environmental inspection revealed a strong plastic contamination in the Neris. Earlier this year, members of the public from the “Salmon Diary” association announced that they would go to Neris flowing plastic pieces. Then the environmentalists began the inspection, however they did not calculate the damage to the environment at that time.

“The company discharges plastic waste into the Neris River and contaminates the Neris River with fine plastic waste. <...> In the absence of UAB Vilniaus vandenys data on the amounts of wastewater discharged into the Neris river, the damage caused to the environment is not calculated in this inspection report, “the environmentalists document read. It states that the damage will be calculated once the necessary data is available.

At the beginning of the year, Vilniaus Vandenys had suspended the reception of wastewater from the ECSO group of companies, suspected to be plastic waste, and entered the Vilnius wastewater treatment plant. M. Švaikauskas then said that he intended to recover the damage from the primary polluter.

Now, the director of Vilniaus Vandenai has stated that all the necessary data has already been provided to environmentalists, but the investigation has not yet been completed and the environmental damage to plastics in Nery has not yet been calculated.

Unsealed emergency tubes

Environmentalists who conducted an inspection at Vilniaus Vandenys also found unsealed emergency arresters at the company.

“The company has the opportunity to discharge untreated wastewater into the Neris river through the canal. Sealing the plug is required,” says the environmental inspection report.

Now J.Jasiūnienė, a representative of the Department of Environmental Protection, claims that the pipes have been sealed.

“We would like to inform you that the unsealed emergency arresters mentioned in the inspection report, the bypass channel closure, the unused contact tank closures were sealed by officials of the Vilnius Environmental Protection Inspection on March 4 2020, 8 sealing acts were drafted. “

The Vilniaus Vandenai chief denied such statements by environmentalists and stated that the company has not had and has not had the theoretical or practical possibilities to discharge untreated wastewater into Neris.

“We hired a sheriff who avoided, dug all wells, filmed, inspected everything, and stated that there is no open shutter so we can directly open it and bring the wastewater to Neris,” said M. Švaikauskas.

He claimed that a few years ago Vilniaus Vandenys had reached out to environmentalists and asked them to seal unsealed emergency arresters at pump stations.