Update on Miankaleh petchem:
Fencing goes on, land to be reclaimed
In a recent update on the Miankaleh petrochemical project, vice president of Human Environment of the Department of the Enviornment (DoE), Iraj Heshmati, revealed that legal proceedings have been initiated at the Behshahr City prosecutor’s office and the Mazandaran Province prosecutor’s office.
The move comes in response to concerns over potential irreversible environmental damage, with hopes that the project’s execution will be halted promptly, ISNA reported.
Heshmati referred to the DoE’s records dated May 21, 2022, which contained a letter to the CEO of Amirabad Petrochemical Company. The letter expressed the DoE’s opposition to the project’s proposed location, known as option A. The DoE had also issued several letters to the project’s executive, urging them to refrain from any enforcement operations until an environmental assessment permit was obtained.
"Any executive operation before and after the notification mentioned is contrary to Paragraph A of Article 38 of the Law of the Sixth Development Plan of the country,” Heshmati added.
Despite these warnings, field reports indicate that fencing of the project site has continued, signaling the commencement of implementation operations.
Heshmati further clarified that the order for judicial and legal follow-up has been communicated to the General Department of Environmental Protection of Mazandaran Province. He expressed hope that the environmental sensitivities will be addressed promptly, preventing any further and irreparable damage while halting the executive operations.
In a recent conversation with the head of the country’s land affairs organization, Heshmati was informed that the proceedings for the restitution of the acquired land are on the provincial supervision committee’s agenda.
Vice president of Human Environment of the DoE noted, “It seems that the recent executive operation of the constructors is only due to the increase in the cost of reclaiming the land and the creation of acquired rights, which is contrary to the rules and laws.”
Heshmati, citing the information base of the DoE, stated that they will continue their legal and judicial pursuit until the final result. He also advised the project manager to respect the laws and halt the project’s implementation as soon as possible.