Representatives of the initiative group of the Rakovychi starosta district (Rakovychi, Negrebivka, Tovste, Rayivka, Zabilochchia, Huta Zabilotska in Zhytomyr Oblast) are addressing the public with a description of the scandalous mismanagement in the Strategic Development Plan of Zhytomyr Oblast.

90 hectares of land near Radomyshl are designated by this "ACTION PLAN FOR 2021-2023 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ZHYTOMYR REGION FOR THE PERIOD TILL 2027" for the development of a dolomite quarry and the construction of a mineral processing plant. The site for the quarry and the plant is located 300 metres from the boundary of the nearest private residence.

Exploration of dolomite resources began in the 1970s. At that time, the water level in the wells of the surrounding villages dropped, and in some of them the water disappeared at all.

In 2010, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil signed an agreement with Dolomine LLC to acquire a special permit for the industrial development of the Negrebivske dolomite deposit (No. 5210 of 01.11.2010, valid until 2030), although the community voted against it at a general meeting.

Albina Nikonenko: "During these 12 years of holding the special permit, the company has not been able to make an environmental impact assessment." Although paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine "On Environmental Impact Assessment" states: "Environmental impact assessment is mandatory in the process of making decisions on the implementation of planned activities. Such planned activity shall be subject to environmental impact assessment prior to making a decision on carrying out the planned activity."

Because of this and a number of other violations in the activities of Dolomine LLC, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil filed a lawsuit to terminate the special permit issued, and won in the first instance on 17 October 2022, but lost in the court of appeal.

The fact that a strategic decision would be made that would affect all life in our region - the allocation of 90 hectares of land to Dolomine at the city council session - was discovered by accident by the community residents from a private message on Facebook by concerned citizens."

A meeting of the Radomyshl City Council on 28.09.23 was held in the presence of a large number of villagers who expressed their categorical protest against the projected consequences of the development.

Out of 18 starosta districts, two are strongly opposed - and expressed this at the general meeting - and two more are watching the developments with anxiety, ready to get involved at any time. Not to mention the attention to the possible problem on the part of the Makarivska settlement community of the Bucha district of Kyiv region, which is also in the zone of possible consequences of the development.

 

"What people remember is not only impressive, it is frightening"

Mining in Soviet times began with a problem - quicksand, which made it impossible to even take samples.

Doctor of Geological Sciences, resident of the village of Negrebivka, V. Zahnitko: "The topic of my research was carbonate rocks, including dolomites of the Negrebivka quarry. I know a lot about these rocks - they are not strategic. And this field is not worth the effort that can be put into its extraction. The samples of dolomite that the village council had show its low quality."

However, the most important issue in mining is water.

"There is a powerful and unique aquifer above these dolomites that is difficult to control. About 13.5 thousand m3 of water was pumped out per day! In addition, this water is drinkable and has excellent quality indicators, including silver, as evidenced by recent studies conducted by the residents themselves."

The soils in the region are poor, and without irrigation, they become infertile. A drop in the water level will lead to the death of well-preserved flora and fauna.

The economic appropriateness of the project is questionable. Considering the experience of the pilot development, it is clear that extraction requires huge associated costs - laying a new power line, building a road and water pipeline, drainage, water supply for forestry and agricultural enterprises. According to official information, Dolomine LLC is a company with a registered capital of UAH 5.5 million, 1 (one!) employee, minimal income and promises to create 25 jobs within 5 years.

Instead, agricultural businesses that already operate in our starosta districts and provide jobs for more than 550 people during the season will suffer as a result of the development and will not be able to pay taxes to the local budget. And this figure last year was over UAH 7 million.

The argument of the local authorities about the economic reasonableness of mining and the potential taxes that will come to the community in such circumstances is not clear, as is the behaviour of Dolomine LLC, which in no way proves that it will take care of the community.

In the East and South of our country, people know better what it is like to live without water. In Radomyshl, however, they plan to allow huge volumes of drinking water to be simply dumped, which is blatant mismanagement. On 28 July 2010, the UN General Assembly recognised the human right to water and sanitation as an international right, and it will be violated in our community.

"Back in the 70s, as a result of land reclamation, our lands were already drained - the swamps disappeared. We live on irrigation. And if we don't water, nothing will grow," Natalia Opimakh, local resident.

Local consequences for the Radomyshl community:

significant decrease in groundwater levels,

loss of drinking water availability,

damage to flora and fauna,

air pollution,

increased noise levels,

inability of farmers to work,

financial losses of each household, private enterprises and Radomyshl community (taxes),

loss of jobs,

destruction of the only soil road,

threat to the lives and health of community residents.

Article 50 of the Constitution of Ukraine: "Everyone has the right to an environment safe for life and health and to compensation for damage caused by a violation of this right."

Natalia Opimakh: "So what does the Zhytomyr Oblast Strategic Development Plan have to do with it? It is this document that provides for the complex extraction of cheap dolomites by a company whose financial viability is questionable. We will have spoil heaps and desert, and downstream of Bilka, after the discharge of such a mass of water, we will have flooding, a decrease in the quality of drinking water, and loss of fish.

"The Strategy went through all the procedures for discussion and publication, and received all the permits. But it was not communicated to the community at the local level. Out of the entire Radomyshl City Council, only one deputy was interested in the issue - and not the one assigned to our village."

The strategy allows for changes due to updated information, but they have not been made yet because there is no one to initiate them except the community.

This is not the only permit sold by the State Service of Geology and Subsoil on the territory of the Rakovytske starosta district. A permit for sand mining was sold, and the company "Second Granite Company", which bought it for 6 million UAH, should have known that the community was strongly against it, and that the land plots intended for mining had no registration number. In addition, the labels on the map show an overlay on people's shares (landshares).

In our opinion, the strategy is about development, not decline, not a scandal that is obvious in advance. The economically unjustified change in the landscape that we will have as a result of the rash actions of the regional and city councils will be a change in the life of the region that hospitably sheltered many refugees in the first months of the full-scale invasion.

Natalia Opimakh: "Why is Zhytomyr region treated as a resource appendage? The region is full of quarries and has only 1 sanatorium, despite having excellent recreational opportunities.

Our quarry, around which these events are taking place, can become a place for children to relax or a rehabilitation centre for the military.

We are not against business, but it must be reasonable, appropriate and transparent."

On 23.11, the next meeting of the Radomyshl City Council will take place. I would like the deputies to come to communicate with the community in the villages. But if the community needs to come to the meeting, we will come.