Thermal Power Plants That Do Not Make Ash Storage Areas In Compliance With Legislation Will Not Be In Operation

The TEMA Foundation filed a lawsuit in February 2020 for the cancellation of the regulation change made just 5 days before the end of the exemption period granted until 31.12.2019 for coal-fired power plants to comply with environmental legislation. In the lawsuit filed on the grounds that the relevant article is against the law and public interest and that the change will cause irreversible damages to the environment and human health, T.C. A stay of execution decision was made by the Council of State Administrative Law Divisions.

In the justification of the stay of execution decision given in the lawsuit filed by the TEMA Foundation; It was emphasized that the exemption period granted to power plants until 31.12.2019 is sufficient for the plants in question to make the necessary investments. In the decision, the waste generated as a result of the activities of thermal power plants; It was also emphasized that it is toxic, pollutes underground and surface waters and agricultural areas, and has negative effects on the environment and human health. To the storage of such polluting and risky wastes; It was stated that continuing without environmental investments, based on an academic report whose content and details are unclear, would not be legal. The Council of State Administrative Law Divisions decided to suspend the execution on the grounds that if the said amendment is made, damages that are difficult or impossible to compensate may occur on human and environmental health.

Thermal Power Plants That Need to Shut Down Will Continue to Operate

Coal-fired power plants, which were mentioned in the amendment of the lawsuit, were given a deadline until 31.12.2019 in order to comply with the environmental legislation and to complete the necessary investments. According to the article, the activities of thermal power plants, which did not complete their environmental investments on the given date, had to be stopped as of this date. In this context, while the activities of the power plants with environmental deficiencies regarding the regular ash storage areas had to be stopped, the operation of the power plants was paved with a Regulation amendment made five days before the expiry of the deadline for investment.

Coal-fired Thermal Power Plants whose Environmental Investments Have Not Completed Should Be Discontinued

Coal-fired power plant wastes; are wastes that have the potential to deeply affect the underground and surface waters, agricultural areas and public health in their regions due to the deficiencies in the flue gas and ash storage areas and require special protection measures. For this reason, the decision for a stay of execution must be made, and the activities of all power plants that have not completed their environmental investments, especially Muğla Yatağan and Kütahya Seyitömer Power Plants, must be stopped until the investments are completed.

Deniz Ataç, Chairman of the Board of the TEMA Foundation, made a statement on the subject; “Coal-fired power plants create great pressure on the ecosystem due to land use and pollution, and are cited as one of the main causes of the climate crisis. Instead of investing in thermal power plants of our country; “It has the power and potential to enable the exit from coal-fired thermal power plants with a fair transformation by maximizing energy efficiency, by conducting research on alternative energy use.”