Greenpeace slams Poland's highway plan through pristine wetland

Warsaw - Global environmental watchdog Greenpeace Monday in Warsaw slammed plans by Poland to build a highway through the pristine Rospuda wetland.

Greenpeace called for the dismissal of Poland's Environment Minister Jan Szyszko, who recently approved a plan to build a 17- kilometre-long platform highway

through the protected Rospuda wetland to the popular Mazurian lakes resort town of Augustow.

Environmentalists argue the wetland in north-east Poland, is the only one of its kind in Europe and home to a number of unique varieties of flora and fauna which the planned highway would threaten.

The planned stretch through the Rospuda river valley and marsh is part of the larger Via Baltica highway designed to create a high-speed road link to Poland's fellow EU Baltic neighbours Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The European Commission has voiced concern over the controversial plans and requested the Polish government submit an official report detailing the highway plans to ensure they are in line with EU rules.

Poland's Environment Ministry says the report for Brussels will be ready by Thursday and the highway plans are in line with EU directives. Poland could face massive fines should both the European Commission and the European Court of Justice possibly rule against the highway.

Source:/news.monstersandcritics.com