The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry of Ukraine intends to file a counterclaim against a ruling of the Volyn district administrative court that did not annul permits for water use for Poninkivska Cardboard and Paper Mill Ukraine (the village of Poninka, Khmelnytsky region) under a petition of the ministry, Minister Ostap Semerak has said.

The minister recalled that the matter concerns the systematic pollution of the Sluch and Homora rivers by the mill, the story about which has lasted from the moment when he came to the office as minister, "but actually long before my appointment", and those suffering from sewage are Khmelnytsky and Zhytomyr regions.

"Over the past two years, the territorial agencies of the State Environmental Inspection have repeatedly checked the Poninkivska mill. The results of the inspections became the basis for appeals to court," Semerak said.

At the same time, he said that the Ecology Ministry does not agree with the decision of the court and intends to "move on" and file a counterclaim.

According to the ruling of the Volyn district administrative court dated September 4, 2018, published in the register of court rulings, the claim of the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine was not satisfied. The agency requested the cancellation of the permit for special water use issued to the Poninkivska Cardboard and Paper Mill Ukraine until April 11, 2020. The request is based on inspections of environmental legislation.