MINUTES of the meeting of the commission for the preparation and conduct of public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility "Construction of a gas pipeline to the existing boiler house with the installation of a gas pressure regulating station at the address: Vitebsk region, Ushachi district, Zhar

MINUTES

of the meeting of the commission for the preparation and conduct of public discussions on the environmental impact assessment report for the facility "Construction of a gas pipeline to the existing boiler house with the installation of a gas pressure regulating station at the address: Vitebsk region, Ushachsky district, Zharsky village council, Staroie Selo village, branch "Ushachsky" of CJSC "Vitebskagroproduct" (hereinafter referred to as the facility). The client for the facility is CJSC "Vitebskagroproduct", the developer is private unitary enterprise for rendering services "Antropal".

26 January 2024 Lepel

The commission, established by the order of the Chairman of the Lepel District Executive Committee dated 11.10.2023 No. 399r "On the establishment of a commission for the preparation and conduct of public discussions on the environmental impact assessment report", consisting of:

Bystritsky Sergey Mikhailovich	Deputy Chairman of the District Executive Committee - Chairman of the Commission;
Afanasyeva Elena Ivanovna	Environmental specialist of CJSC "Vitebskagroproduct";
Belkovich Anna Leonidovna	Chief specialist of the Department of Architecture and Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the District Executive Committee;
Klyashtornaya Natalia Leonidovna	Head of the Department of Architecture and Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the District Executive Committee

considered the results of the public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility "Construction of a gas pipeline to the existing boiler house with the installation of a gas pressure regulating station at the address: Vitebsk region, Ushachsky district, Zharsky village council, Staroie Selo village, branch "Ushachsky" of CJSC "Vitebskagroproduct" (hereinafter referred to as the report)

Heard the Head of the Department of Architecture and Construction, Housing and Communal Services

of the Lepel District Executive Committee, Klyashtornaya N.L., who reported the following.

The procedure for public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility was conducted from 26.12.2023 to 24.01.2024 (inclusive).

Information on the public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility was published in the district newspaper "Lepelski Krai" dated 22.12.2023, and was also posted on the official website of the district executive committee in the "Public Discussions" section (18.12.2023).

During the period of public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility, comments and proposals were received, provided in the table (attached).

THE COMMISSION DECIDED:

1. To instruct the private unitary enterprise for rendering services "Antropal" to take into account the received comments and proposals, provided they comply with the requirements of technical normative legal acts.

2. To consider the public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility as having taken place in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation on the procedure for organising and conducting public discussions of environmentally significant decisions, environmental impact assessment reports, and the consideration of adopted environmentally significant decisions, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 14.06.2016 No. 458.

3. To recommend the facility: for further implementation in the established manner.

Appendix

Comments and proposals received during the public discussion of the environmental impact assessment report for the facility "Construction of a gas pipeline to the existing boiler house with the installation of an RPP at the address: Vitebsk region, Ushachi district, Zharsky s/s, village Staroye Selo, branch "Ushachsky" CJSC "Vitebskagroproduct" and responses to them.

No. p/p	Date	Correspondent	Comments made	Response to comments
1	2	3	4	5
1.	24.01.2024	Vinyatsky Egor Dmitrievich	1. Clause 45 of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 14.06.2016 No. 458 "On approval of the Regulation on the procedure for organizing and conducting public discussions of draft environmentally significant decisions, environmental reports on strategic environmental assessment, reports on environmental impact assessment, and accounting for adopted environmentally significant decisions" (hereinafter referred to as Resolution No. 458) contains an exhaustive list of information that must be included in the notification of public discussions of the environmental impact assessment report (hereinafter referred to as the EIA report). The notification submitted on the website of the Lepel District Executive Committee lacks the following data: - information on the decision being made regarding the economic and other activities is missing; - lacktakes place from 26.12.2023 to 24.01.2024 (inclusive). A notification of public discussions on draft programme documents and draft normative legal acts shall be posted by their organiser on their official website in the global computer network Internet (hereinafter referred to as the Internet) in the "Public Discussions" section no later than the date of commencement of public discussions. The notification on the district executive committee's website was published in the district newspaper "Lepelski Krai" in the issue dated 22.12.2023; on the district executive committee's website - 18.12.2023. The notification contains information that comments and proposals on the EIA documentation can be sent in writing within 10 working days from the date of commencement of public discussions. A request for the necessity of holding public hearings (meetings) can be sent within 10 days from the date of commencement of public discussions. All planned decisions regarding the facility are indicated in the EIA report. It is planned to construct a gas pipeline using the underground method, across the lands of Lepel and Ushachi districts.
2			The EIA report contains references to outdated regulatory legal documents and documents in an outdated version.	The received comments will be analysed for their substance and validity, and if justified, will be taken into account in the EIA report.
3			Why does the preparatory period for the works not include measures for the removal and preservation of the fertile soil layer?
4			Why, in violation of clause 12 of EcoNIP 17.02.06-001-2021, does the EIA report not assess the current state of the environment, taking into account data on the dynamics of the environmental state over the last 5 years?
5			Why, in violation of clause 14 of EcoNIP 17.02.06-001-2021, does the EIA report not reflect data from the atmospheric air monitoring of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus, data from the state atmospheric air cadastre, and hydrometeorological information?
6			Why, in violation of clause 15 of EcoNorms 17.02.06-001-2021, does the EIA report not reflect data from the monitoring of surface waters of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus, and the State Water Cadastre?
7			Why, in violation of clause 15 of EcoNorms 17.02.06-001-2021, does the EIA report not reflect data from the monitoring of underground waters of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus?
8			The EIA report considers the Gas Distribution Point (GDP) as an emission source, while the gas pipeline is intended for an existing boiler house. This means the boiler house previously operated on other fuel, and upon commissioning of the gas pipeline, the emissions of pollutants from this boiler house will change. It is unclear from the report where exactly the boiler house is located and for what facility it is intended, but judging by the fact that section 2.1 of the EIA report discusses a waste processing plant, the boiler house is likely the heat source for the waste processing plant. Please clarify why the report does not assess the cumulative environmental impact, considering existing sources, including those whose emissions will change as a result of the project implementation?
9			The EIA report states that the disturbed grassy cover will "self-recover" after the completion of works. Why do the project solutions not provide for the restoration of vegetation at the work site (sowing grass)?