FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY - Article 19

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ARTICLE 19GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR FREE EXPRESSIONthe event of a fire. They had simply heard in the media that the phosphorus would ultimately betransported to Kazakhstan.Even more worryingly, in mid-2007 very high levels of radiation were recorded in theDonetsk oblast. It was feared this might be the cause of a series of illnesses in the area. The causes ofthe radiation remain unclear since there are no nuclear facilities there. Environmentalists have linkedthe radiation to waste present in the oblast, whose source is also unknown. 344A family from the Skvyra district (Kyiv oblast) stated that their village was declared safe bythe authorities in 1986, following the Chornobyl accident. Yet, in 1990 it emerged that the village wasin a contaminated area that had to be evacuated. Local people found out about the health hazards in theregion from contacts and the newspapers; the authorities made no official statements. When they stillbelieved that they were living in an uncontaminated area, the family had brought their granddaughterfrom the city of Kyiv to live with them, thinking that this would be healthier for her. In the followingyears, family members developed illnesses, including several severe allergies. They had to movehastily and found themselves in a house with extremely poor living conditions and no heating. Thiswas because, a few years after the disaster, the relocation programmes had started to shrink, makingfinding alternative housing increasingly problematic. Had they received timely notice, they may havenot developed illnesses and would have had the opportunity to arrange for better housing.Other interviewees reported that, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in some villages in theShostkinskii district (at the edge of Sumy and Kyiv oblasts), several people started complaining ofpulmonary disease. All wild birds disappeared from the area and crops died. The locals linked theseevents to the high levels of emissions from chemical factories in the area. The authorities did notexplain these developments, instead simply assuring the public that there was no danger.As mentioned above, at times it is less the concerns over their health and safety that motivatepeople to want to know more, but worries over losing livelihoods or property, as well as concerns overequal opportunities and fair competition. Frequently, people learn of construction projects only whenthey are already under way. Even then, it can sometimes be difficult to obtain information. Forexample, a resident of Donetsk submitted an information request on a building development that hadstarted near her house. Three months later she informed interviewers that she had still not received areply. Another woman discovered one morning that a construction project had started on land near herhouse which led to the felling of several trees. She addressed several public bodies for information butcould not get satisfactory answers as to what was being built or by whom. In both cases, the residentswere alarmed that tree felling and the construction projects would reduce the value of their house. 345 In344 Interview with Oleg Listopad, see note 82.345 Interview with Oleg Listopad, see note 82.For Internal Use Only. Is Post-Chornobyl Ukraine Ready for Access to Environmental Information?ARTICLE 19, London, 2007*
ARTICLE 19GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR FREE EXPRESSIONthe case of the sodium factory in Sloviansk, three women complained that they could not sell theirapartments because of their proximity to the factory. Interviewees also expressed concerns over thelack of transparency of public tender procedures. 346 The results are that very few companies participatein tenders, with opportunities benefiting only a small elite, and there is insufficient oversight of the useof public funds.( This study shows how the lack of effective access to information has serious consequences for thepeople of Ukraine, many of whose health and well-being are affected by environmental damage. Thelack of information also has serious consequences for the protection of the environment itself, therebyundermining sustainable development.The three oblasts which are the focus of this report are all facing pressing environmentalconcerns. Kyiv is at the edge of the Chornobyl 30 km zone, as well as being plagued by other forms ofpollution. Donetsk is the most industrialised region of Ukraine and has chemical and metallurgicfactories. Lviv also has chemical and metallurgic factories and has been the recipient of toxic wastefrom Hungary.The Chornobyl disaster demonstrated dramatically the need for information to protectpeople’s health and the environment. People were deprived of basic information that would haveallowed them to minimise the catastrophe’s effects. Information on the overall impact of the accidentis still sketchy. Recent smaller-scale public emergencies have revealed once again a tendency by theauthorities to release inadequate information and conflicting messages, at times with a view todownplaying the risks involved. This is often justified as a measure to contain panic.However, the interviews in this report have shown that when people are deprived ofinformation, fear and uncertainty grow, leading to high stress levels as well as misinformed andtherefore counterproductive coping strategies. Affected people also have a psychological need to knowwho was responsible for an accident and that effective measures have been taken to avoid similarincidents in the future.Lack of information disempowers. It means that people cannot take informed decisions orscrutinise the authorities’ actions, and it prevents people from defending their rights.In Ukraine there is a clear legal requirement for the dissemination of environmentalinformation. There are international guarantees, particularly through the State’s ratification of the346 Ibid.For Internal Use Only. Is Post-Chornobyl Ukraine Ready for Access to Environmental Information?ARTICLE 19, London, 2007*"
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