Opposition faults Reiljan for inadequate response to oil-spill

  • 2006-02-15
  • Staff and wire reports
TALLINN - Lawmakers for opposition groups in the Riigikogu (Estonia's parliament) have demanded that Prime Minister Andrus Ansip dismiss Environ-ment Minister Villu Reiljan for allegedly botching up the clean-up operation in one of the country's worst environmental disasters.


Opposition parties 's including the right-wing Pro Patria Union and the right-of-center Res Publica 's agreed on Feb. 13 to hold a no-confidence vote on Reiljan's performance, though they have stopped short of setting a date and instead threw the ball into Ansip's court.

"We expect Ansip to do it by [Feb. 20]," Taavi Veskimagi, chairman of Res Publica, told the Baltic News Service. "If he does not satisfy this demand, we will initiate a vote of no confidence in Reiljan."

Veskimagi said the opposition was keeping up efforts to find backers for the motion from among coalition MPs. "In handling the motion, the Res Publica faction will proceed from how big is the probability that the motion of no confidence will find broader support than just among the opposition factions," he said.

The move is the result of the recent oil spill that, according to latest estimates, killed as many as 3,500 birds and tainted kilometers of Estonian coastline.

Eiki Nestor, deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party, said the party supported a no-confidence motion not only against Reiljan but also Interior Minister Kalle Laanet and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. The party's extended board adopted a political statement calling for the ouster of Reform Party Prime Minister Andrus Ansip in a no-confidence vote.

Reiljan, who heads the People's Union, told reporters after a meeting of the coalition council that he had no quarrel with the no-confidence motion. "I've had meetings with the opposition on these topics earlier, too, and this accusation by the opposition really isn't a problem for me," he said.

On Feb. 10, Reiljan reprimanded the head of the Environmental Inspectorate, Ain Purga, as a disciplinary punishment for his inadequate performance following the spill. A supervisory control panel found that Purga failed to immediately inform the Environment Ministry 's as required 's upon learning of the oil-slick, spokespeople for the ministry said.

It was also discovered that Purga did not take steps to forward adequate information. In defense, the head of the environmental watchdog explained that it took time to establish the extent of the pollution.

According to Purga, he was not convinced the spill was a major environmental threat until the evening of Jan. 30.

In a written explanation, Purga agreed that the Environment Inspectorate had not informed the ministry as required, and that he groundlessly assumed the ministry was already aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced it has allocated 758 million kroons (48.4 million euros) for oil-pollution detection equipment and facilities. Experts, however, say that an efficient marine-pollution prevention plan would require at least 2 billion kroons, or possibly even as much as 3 billion.

"For such money, apart from meeting the minimum requirements, we would be able to acquire backup equipment like our northern neighbors have," said Silver Vahtra, chief of the pollution-fighting department at the Border Guard Board's maritime unit.

Two pollution-detection radars, which will be used for Border Guard patrol aircraft, are estimated at 58 million kroons, and repairs on the pollution-control ship Kati will cost 20 million kroons.

The ministry has earmarked 7.7 million kroons for monitoring flights, 35 million kroons for the acquisition of pollution-control equipment and 21 million kroons for the establishment of bases in the ports of Parnu, Kunda and Kuressaare. The establishment of a logistical base in Tallinn would cost 19 million kroons.

Interior Minister Kalle Laanet said the ministry's goal was to hold public-procurement tenders by this summer. The necessary money would be taken either from the government's contingency reserve, a supplementary budget or income from the sale of property.

Environmentalists have so far saved more than 100 birds, which are living at an emergency center in the town of Keila. The list includes more than 50 goldeneyes, 25 swans, a couple of dozen long-tailed ducks, wild ducks, smews, and a seagull.

About half of the birds have been cleansed and are currently recovering. Personnel were able to cleanse the birds at a rate of 20-30 per day, the press release said.

"It's good to see that the birds are regaining their strength and are no longer cowering in corners. It's just as big a pleasure to note good cooperation among our partners," said Jaanus Tuusti, manager of the National Center for the Protection of Nature.

He added that the center was preparing an action plan for the following weeks. Environmental-ists are also discussing a strategic plan for the period until June, which takes into account the possibility of new polluted areas appearing after the sea's ice-cap melts away.