Against offshore LNG terminal off Pise and Livorno

Whereas:

- The Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminal off Pise and Livorno would be the first offshore LNG terminal  in the world. An accident could generate a real environmental disaster within the Pelagos Cetaceans' Sanctuary, an international marine protected area;

- In the area, many species are present,  protected by the European Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE, including seabeds of Posidona oceanica, and the Environmental Impact Assessmnet (EIA) is incomplete in this regard. No evaluation of effects was performed within the EIA procedure, and impacts on the Sanctuary and cetaceans have never been properly assessed. Moreover, the Pilot Committee of the Sanctuary has never provided a favourable opinion for the realisation of the LNG terminal;

- The EIA is not complete at least for the following four aspects:

              Sediments mobilisation

              Transplantation of the posidonia sea-grass meadow

              Plant wastewater descharge

              Industrial noise pollution impacts on resident
              and migratory cetaceans

- It is unclear why the project was authorised under the simplified procedure available for industrial sites in accordance with art. 8 of Italian law n.340/00, while in reality the offshore LNG terminal will be sited in a marine area and not in a site classified as "industrial area" by the land planning instruments;

- The authorisation procedure unlawfully excluded a number of affected public  authorities;

- The affected local communities have not been consulted, a flagrant violation of European and national standards on public participation.

The undersigned concerned citizens, businesses and groups demand:

- An immediate stop to all authorisation procedures for the Pise and Livorno LNG terminal project;

- A new and independent EIA study, thoroughly assessing potential negative impacts; and,

- An open and transparent public consultation involving all citizens of Pise and Livorno and other potentially affected communities.

Whereas:

- The Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminal off Pise and Livorno would be the first offshore LNG terminal  in the world. An accident could generate a real environmental disaster within the Pelagos Cetaceans' Sanctuary, an international marine protected area;

- In the area, many species are present,  protected by the European Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE, including seabeds of Posidona oceanica, and the Environmental Impact Assessmnet (EIA) is incomplete in this regard. No evaluation of effects was performed within the EIA procedure, and impacts on the Sanctuary and cetaceans have never been properly assessed. Moreover, the Pilot Committee of the Sanctuary has never provided a favourable opinion for the realisation of the LNG terminal;

- The EIA is not complete at least for the following four aspects:

              Sediments mobilisation

              Transplantation of the posidonia sea-grass meadow

              Plant wastewater descharge

              Industrial noise pollution impacts on resident
              and migratory cetaceans

- It is unclear why the project was authorised under the simplified procedure available for industrial sites in accordance with art. 8 of Italian law n.340/00, while in reality the offshore LNG terminal will be sited in a marine area and not in a site classified as "industrial area" by the land planning instruments;

- The authorisation procedure unlawfully excluded a number of affected public  authorities;

- The affected local communities have not been consulted, a flagrant violation of European and national standards on public participation.

The undersigned concerned citizens, businesses and groups demand:

- An immediate stop to all authorisation procedures for the Pise and Livorno LNG terminal project;

- A new and independent EIA study, thoroughly assessing potential negative impacts; and,

- An open and transparent public consultation involving all citizens of Pise and Livorno and other potentially affected communities.