• of complaint made by Elektrownia Północ Sp. z o.o. regarding the decision issued by the Chief Building Inspector in April 2013 in which he took into account the complaint submitted by a local citizen who contested the decision of the Pomerania Voivodship Governor to grant the ‘North’ Power Plant building permit for the associated infrastructure related to water consumption and waste water discharge to the Vistula River.
• of complaint made by Elektrownia Północ Sp. z o.o. on the decision issued by the Chief Building Inspector in February 2013, in which he annulled the former decision made by the Pomerania Voivodship Governor on the refusal to allow the Association Workshop for All Beings to participate as a party in the proceedings related to building permit for the associated infrastructure related to water consumption and waste water discharge to the Vistula River for the ‘North’ Power Plant.

In both cases the court dismissed the complaints made by Elektrownia Północ Sp. z o.o. thus confirming the requirement that the society participate in the proceedings regarding the water main.

As of the day when the court’s decision becomes final and valid the case of the associated infrastructure related to water consumption and waste water discharge to the Vistula River will return to the Pomerania Voivodship Governor who will be obliged to allow all the interested parties to participate in the proceedings. This mean that the voice of the society will finally be taken into account.

„We are glad about these decisions because they emphasise the importance of social participation in the decision making process related to this investment. The decisions of such a great import for the whole region must not be made in the secrecy of cabinets and without broad discussion with the citizens. The investor and the local politicians should not be the only one making decisions on the quality of life in the Rajkowy village. The voice of all the citizens matters” – says Radosław Ślusarczyk, chairman of the board of the Association Workshop for All Beings.

What is also of great importance is the voice of international community that has been taking part in an action of sending letters to the ‘North’ Power Plant investor, Dr Jan Kulczyk, asking that he withdrew from this investment and instead supported the use of clean, renewable energy.

Today’s court decisions are not the only problems faced by the ‘North’ Power Plant. In August 2013 the coalition of environmental and social organisations filed a request to the General Director for Environmental Protection for the annulment of the decision on environmental approval issued for the ‘North‘ Power Plant – a key document in the investment process. The complaints against the decision issued for the ‘North’ Power Plant are significant. General Director for Environmental Protection instituted proceedings in this case in October 2013. If the decision on environmental approval is annulled, the deadline set out in the contract of the 6th of December 2013 with Alstom – the main contractor of the investment – will become impracticable.