Council of State rejects objection of the firm that wants to have a power plant in Loç

Locals show a banner protesting the OR-YA company (Photo: kastamonugazetesi.com.tr)

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The Council of State has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the OR-YA Energy company, which wants to build a hydroelectric power plant in Loç Valley in Cide district of Turkey's central Black Sea province of Kastamonu.

The Kastamonu Administrative Court previously cancelled the positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report given for the hydroelectric power plant project of the company.

In response to this cancellation, the OR-YA company filed a lawsuit, demanding the reversal of this cancellation and the stay of its execution.

In a unanimous ruling given by the 6th Chamber of the Council of State, which examined the company's objection, it has been noted that "as there is no reason necessitating the stay of the execution of the Administrative Court verdict, the demand has been rejected."

With this recent ruling, the cancellation of the positive EIA report for the power plant has been upheld by the upper court.

Erdinç Ay: Don't come here ever again

Erdinç Ay from the Karadibi Village of Loç Valley has spoken to bianet about the ruling. Ay has indicated that the company has prepared two EIA reports on Cide for almost 11 years, but these reports have been rejected twice by both the Kastamonu Administrative Court and the Council of State.

Referring to the findings of scientists about the region, Ay has noted that they have also found the project unsuitable for the region:

"We are not foes. They should not turn this into a derby, they should not prepare yet another EIA report or get furious about it. A hydroelectric power plant in Cide is apparently not suitable for national parks, ecologic structure and nature of Loç people. So, they should not come here again.

"They are also engaging in manufacturing pipes, they should keep on doing it. They have entered the construction sector, they should move on with it, but they should not come here ever again."

'There goes the power plant and comes peace'

The people of Loç Valley have also made a joint statement following the ruling. Addressing the OR-YA company and other energy companies in their statement, they have called on them to not come to their valley:

"Since March 16, 2009 till today, we have cried out loud for times and times again that Cide Hydroelectric Power Plant is not suitable for the ecosystem and social life of the Loç Valley, which is located in Küre Mountains National Park. Up until today, 22 experts/scientists appointed by courts from different universities have documented it with the reports that they have written.

"The Kastamonu Administrative Court and the Council of State have upheld the unlawfulness of the Cide Hydroelectric Power Plant, each of them twice. Enough is enough! No company has the right to waste time and money of people, functioning bodies and justice system of the state to such extent.

"If so many people, scientists and legal experts say Cide Hydroelectric Power Plant project is wrong and unlawful, especially the OR-YA Energy and other companies waiting in the line and the Directorate General of EIA that approved every report about the project should end this wrong functioning. Now we want to say, 'There goes the power plant and comes peace'."

What happened?

The construction work for the plant first began in 2009.

232 people from Cide filed a lawsuit for the cancelation of the environmental report and suspension of the project on December 15, 2009. Locals had staged a sit-in protest for 28 days against the project.

The construction yard was sealed by Kastamonu Special Provincial Administration on December 31, 2010, over unlicensed construction.

Kastamonu Administrative Court ruled for the suspension of execution of the project because of "irreversible destruction" caused by the power plant project. The court canceled the positive EIA report on July 11, 2011.

After the Council of State overturned this decision, construction work resumed in the area. Locals filed another lawsuit for the cancelation of the project. The Council of State Head of 14th Chamber canceled the report in August 2015 on the grounds that it would cause destruction to environmental assets and ecological balance.

Orya company again made an application to the Ministry in late 2016 and submitted an EIA report in February 2017. The ministry approved the report.

Küre Mountains National Park is one of the WWF's 100 forest hotspots and 200 ecological regions determined by WWF in terms of nature protection in the world. It has 157 endemic plant species. (TP/SD)