Pljevlja is suing the government for air pollution

Opposition councilors from Pljevlja submitted a request to the President of the Municipal Assembly to convene an emergency session of the local parliament with a proposal for measures to be taken in order to mitigate the harmful effects of air pollution on citizens' health.

The request states that in recent months there has been constant air pollution that directly threatens the health of citizens. The opposition claims that the number of people suffering from the most serious diseases is also increasing, and that the local administration is not paying enough attention to this problem. In this way, the local administration, according to the opposition, directly violates the law in the part that refers to informing and warning citizens in case of general danger and taking measures for their protection.

The opposition proposes that the Municipality, within one month, adopt a special operational plan for actions in cases of exceeding the permissible limits of polluting substances and demands the Government to act in accordance with the Law on the Environment and make a decision on granting consent to the Municipality of Pljevlja for the introduction of compensation for the protection and improvement of the environment environment.

They are asking the Government to compensate the Municipality of Pljevlja by December 31, 2019 at the latest for the loss of profit due to the lack of consent to the decision of the Municipality of Pljevlja on determining compensation for the protection and improvement of the environment. For this reason, it is proposed that the Municipality, in order to protect its interests, use all legal means by June 11 at the latest, including a lawsuit against the Government before domestic and international courts.

One of the decisions suggested that the Municipality asks the Government, EPCG and the Coal Mine to sign a Memorandum of Intent by March 30, which will precisely define the dynamics of bringing the quality of air, water and land to a level in line with EU standards and the dynamics of realizing the heating of Pljevlja.

They are asking for the design documentation for the wastewater treatment of the Pljevlja and Rudnik thermal power plants to be drawn up by the end of 2019, and the plant to be built by the end of 2020.

"By the end of 2019, install a desulfurization device in the "Pljevlja" thermal power plant, and by the end of 2021, the quality of air, water and land should be brought up to the level of EU norms and standards. In accordance with the given recommendations, the local self-government will complete the innovation of the investment program and the Main heating project of Pljevlja by the end of 2019 and complete the preparatory works, and start the implementation of the heating project of Pljevlja in the second quarter of 2020 at the latest. of the measures proposed by the opposition.

It is also requested that the local self-government forward the Report with the conclusions of the Municipal Assembly of Pljevlja to the Delegation of the European Commission in Podgorica and diplomatic missions in Montenegro.

The representative of the Municipality should participate in the negotiations with the EU

In the requests, it is requested that for the construction of a permanent ash and slag disposal site, a use permit be obtained by the end of 2020, and that the reclamation of the current disposal site and the mines where the exploitation has ended be started. It is requested from the Government that a representative of the municipality of Pljevlja participates in the accession negotiations with the EU for the environment chapter.

Elektroprivreda and Rudnik Uglja are required to reduce the price of electricity and coal for households by 50 percent and to delete from the accounts compensation for losses on the network and transmission of electricity until Elektroprivreda fulfills its obligation to heat the city.

The local self-government, the opposition parties suggest, will ask the Government to adapt the legislation in order to provide funds for the sustainable development of the local self-government through the concession fee, or in another way, given that coal is a non-renewable mineral resource.