Finland gives its opinion on the international environmental impact assessment of the Nord Stream gas pipeline
Published in Finnish on 8 June 2009
Finland has finalised its opinion on the international environmental impact assessment report on the offshore natural gas pipeline planned between Russia and Germany (Espoo Report). The Ministry of the Environment, acting as the Finnish competent authority on the Espoo Convention, has today submitted the Finnish opinion on the adequacy of the assessment report to Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia. The opinion does not cover the permit procedure or permit decisions concerning the project. The international environmental impact assessment procedure is based on the Espoo Convention on transboundary environmental impacts.
The international environmental impact assessment report produced by Nord Stream AG describes the overall impacts of the project on the Baltic Sea. The opinion of the Ministry of the Environment covers the impacts that the sections of the pipeline planned for Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia would have on Finland. The opinion is based on the views (70 in all) that different authorities, research institutes, non-governmental organisations and private persons submitted after examining the document.
The Espoo Report on the proposed gas pipeline project covers a wide range of impacts on the Baltic Sea and it presents these impacts as a whole on a fairly balanced scale. The general nature of the report though makes it more difficult to substantiate the extent of local and regional impacts. Finland is thus requesting more information so that these impacts could be examined more carefully. The request concerns such issues as the dispersal of harmful substances contained in seabed sediments, impacts on fishing, more detailed information on maritime traffic to be used as a basis for risk assessment during the construction phase, mitigation of impacts from the detonation of munitions, more detailed risk assessments of areas which contain dumped chemical weapons, impacts on Natura areas, and more details on the impacts of discharges of pressure-testing water, an activity that is to be carried out prior to the commissioning of the pipeline. Finland is specifically requesting Sweden and Russia to provide more detailed information on environmental impacts of the construction work planned for border areas close to its exclusive economic zone.
Because Russia did not submit its own national EIA report for examination, it has not been possible to verify the impacts on Finland of the work to be carried out in Russia. Finland is therefore requesting Russia to submit the report for comments. Finland also proposes that more detailed comparisons be made between the routes to the north and south of Gogland and that Russia reserve an opportunity for oral consultation according to the Espoo Convention. As Russia has not ratified the Espoo Convention, it is not bound by the obligations in the Convention. In this project, however, Russia has pledged to act in accordance with the Convention within the limits set by its own legislation.
Finland is one of the countries through whose exclusive economic zone the planned pipeline would traverse. The Ministry of the Environment is waiting for comments from the other countries through whose exclusive economic zones the pipeline will also traverse (Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia), and from the countries affected by the transboundary impacts of the pipeline activities planned within the Finnish exclusive economic zone (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland). The Ministry of the Environment will forward these comments to the Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre, which will consider them when preparing its own statement. The Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre will give its own opinion on the adequacy of the national environmental impact assessment report (EIA report) in early July.
Link to: Finland's answer to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia on the Nord Stream Espoo Report, dated 5 June 2009
Further information
Counsellor Seija Rantakallio, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 400 143 937
Political Adviser Hanna Ekman, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 400 873 743
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