Greenpeace ends chimney protest

Greenpeace ended on Wednesday a three-day protest atop a chimney at the Prunéřov power plant in northern Bohemia, a Greenpeace spokesman said. The activists want to meet the newly appointed Environment Minister Jakub Šebesta, over plans to modernize the plant. Minister Šebesta agreed with a meeting, a spokesman for the ministry said.

Thirteen Greenpeace activists climbed the 300-metre tall chimney at the Prunéřov power plant on Monday in protest against plans by the power plant’s owner, the Czech energy producer ČEZ, to modernize the facility. A study commissioned by the Environment Ministry, which was released last week, suggests the project does not include the best available technology. The previous environment minister, Jan Dusík, stepped down last week over pressure to grant ČEZ a permission to go ahead with the existing project.

Author: Jan Richter