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An American company Last Energy has applied for the so-called decision in principle to construct a small nuclear reactor in Jaworze. The problem is that the local government did not know about this investment, and it has been planning that within a few years the town would get back its status as a resort.
The local government has sent an official letter to the Ministry of Climate and Environment and has been waiting for a response for more than a week.
As determined by the portal bielsko-biala.pl, a company that identified Jaworze as a potential site for the construction of a small reactor received a negative opinion from the Internal Security Agency. That means the investment can’t happen.
The small municipality next to Bielsko-Biała has been investing in a brine water well for more than a year and the results of its research will determine whether Jaworze regains its spa status.
It is difficult to imagine a situation in which a community of approx. 7,300 residents that lives in an area where half of the forests attract spa clients would remain attractive with a nuclear reactor. In the neighboring Jasienica, a multimillion-dollar construction of a swimming pool and recreation complex based on the use of thermal waters is planned. The news about plans to build a small reactor in Jaworze came as a shock to residents and municipal authorities. The local government has sent a letter to the Ministry of Climate and he Environment and has been waiting for a response for more than a week, according to the portal.
According to the law, Last Energy Polska in order to build the nuclear power plant must obtain the so-called decision in principle from the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Obtaining it means political approval for the investment and entitles the American company to begin the formalities related to obtaining an environmental decision and a building permit.
In the proposal, the investor stated that the planned capacity of the nuclear power plant, the planned service life, the technology envisaged for the application, describe the plan for the storage of radioactive waste and the method of financing the investment. When submitting the application it had to pay a fee of PLN 200 thousand. The law also specifies the time for consideration of the application, which is 90 days, but this is extended with each investor’s request to complete the documentation and the entire procedure can take much longer.
“The ministry may issue or refuse to issue a decision, taking into account state policy objectives and the impact of the investment on security. Therefore, the final decision on the case comes only after the procedure and the opinion of the Internal Security Agency,” informs bielsko-biala.pl.
A week ago, following press publications, an inspection at the headquarters of the Ministry of Climate and Environment was carried out by MP Mirosława Nykiel. “Both the local government and residents were surprised by last week’s media information that a small nuclear reactor is to be built in Jaworze,” she said.
As the portal learned, the issuance of the decision in principle for Last Energy Polska is very unlikely due to the fact that the opinion presented by the Internal Security Agency is negative. According to the law, this is a key condition for the ministry to refuse to issue a decision in principle without which the SMR investment in Jaworze will not start.
Bielsko-biala.pl / Jacek Perzyński
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