Klaus signs bill tightening protection against pollution

Prague, Feb 28 (CTK) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed a bill tightening the protection against industrial pollution into law yesterday, Presidential Office spokesman Radim Ochvat has said.

The amendment, for instance, puts a greater emphasis on the use of the best available technology and specifies the conditions for granting exemptions in detail.

The law also covers some further industrial productions, for instance, the production of wooden particle boards.

Under the law, companies must ask the respective regional offices for operation permits. The authority will then assess the level of emissions leaking into all parts of the environment.

Besides, the amendment more focuses on the protection of soil and underground waters against industrial pollution.

There will be three criteria for granting exemptions to allow a higher emission amount: the geographical position of the equipment, its technical parametres and the argument that the costs of the latest state-of-the-art technology would be disproportionate to its benefit for the environment.

Companies will be able to apply for exemptions only if they submit expert opinions confirming their rightfulness.

The amendment, which the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, approved on February 19, includes some corrections of terminology, which the Senate, the upper house, demanded.