In the village of Batevo in Transcarpathia, construction of one of the largest wood processing plants in Ukraine has been actively ongoing since May. The construction project was announced by OVA Chairman Viktor Nikita back in the spring. This plant is being built by the BF Terminal company, the main beneficiary of which is Leonid Yurushev, well-known in the forest industry, owner of the MDF plant in Korosten.
A representative of the Ukrainian environmental group, Egor Grinik, told Espresso.Zapad about the danger of this plant for the region and the illegality of its construction.
The biologist points out several important aspects. Firstly, the plant is being built without complying with legal requirements. Before starting construction, an assessment of its impact on the environment is mandatory. The Ministry of Environment has not yet provided conclusions, but construction has been actively underway since May. This is a serious violation of the law, since construction work can only begin after obtaining permission from the Ministry.
Secondly, in Transcarpathia, as well as in the Carpathians in general, there are no large woodworking factories. And this plant will be very large, its maximum capacity will be 1.1 million cubic meters. This will lead to increased logging and overuse of forest resources. For example, in 2022, approximately 1.2 million cubic meters of wood were cut down in Transcarpathia. If this plant is completed, it itself can consume all the available wood in the area.
“And also small woodworking enterprises will have to compete with this large plant and, probably, for many this will lead to the cessation of their activities,” adds Yegor Grinik.
He also notes that the environmental impact assessment is prepared by the enterprise itself, and then sent for approval to the Ministry of Ecology. The decision to build is made based on this assessment.
“So, this application sent to the Ministry does not indicate any negative social consequences for local communities and an increase in logging volumes. We contacted the environmental inspectorate of the Transcarpathian region, but have not yet received any response. We have also submitted comments to the Ministry of Ecology and probably “We’ll get an answer within a month,” notes Grinik.
