Estonian Fund for Nature brought the munitions clearance decision of the Nord Stream gas pipeline to justice Estonian Fund for Nature (EFN) submitted an appeal to the Administrative Court of Vaasa concerning the munitions clearance permit issued by Western Finland Permitting Authority. Nord Stream AG has acquired the permit for clearing munitions in the Finnish waters as a part of the Russian–German natural gas pipeline project. According to the EU environmental impact assessment (EIA) directive and Espoo Convention, such permit can not be issued before the EIA of the whole project has not completed. According to EFN, the parts of the permit decision concerning the transboundary impacts to Estonia contain incorrect statements on impact assessment and risk analyses. The permitting authority has trusted explanations of the developer, without their critical examination. Estonian state authorities and scientists have pointed out several aspects according to which EIA, and in particular, the munitions clearance application,provided by Nord Stream AG is incomplete and inaccurate. That EIA has not adequately assessed impacts of toxicants in sediments which are resuspended by the clearance of munitions, affecting wildlife and human health. "The permit application concerning munitions clearance should be rejected as the environmental impact assessment is not finalized”, says CEO of EFN Jüri-Ott Salm. “Nord Stream AG is trying to split the project, using a practice referred to as "salami slicing" - splitting a large project to small parts to conduct them silently. The reports of the monitoring of the implementation of the EU EIA directive have brought examples of this practice as non-recommendable practice.” EFN has appealed to court in order to revise and halt the permit for munitions clearance until all international obligations have been fulfilled including provision of public with adequate environmental risk assessment. For more information, please contact: Jüri-Ott Salm CEO of Estonian Fund for Nature jott@elfond.ee 03.11.2009. | 
