Euro Lithium says activists, politicians tore down fences and signs

Milena Kuzmanović

Euro Lithium Balkans on Friday accused environmental activists and opposition politicians of tearing down its fences and warning signs at the sites it investigated but an activist said they thought the company was continuing its drilling on fertile farmland.

Euro Lithium Balkans said in a press release that it stopped its geological research in the Valjevo areaon April 28 with subcontractors closing water bores on May 5 and added that opposition politicians and environmental activists tore down the fences over the May 1 holiday. “Although the sites were marked in line with regulations and fences put up with warning signs, certain opposition leaders and their followers trespassed onto the sites to record a promotional video which shows how they tore down the fences and signs,” it said adding that the politicians and activists showed disregard for everyone who followed them.

“We feel that the manipulated NGO sector and opposition representatives showed that anything goes, even disregard for the law, for the sake of a political performance and political points,” the company said.

An environmental activist told N1 that local people in the Valjevo area said that they thought Euro Lithium staff were continuing their research, not shutting the bore holes. “We thought they were continuing the drilling even though they said that was stopped but when we and the local people arrived at the site we saw that they were closing the bore holes,” activist Gordana Jelisavcic said adding that reports were filed with the agriculture inspection service in Valjevo which is why the holes are being filled.

Jelisavcic’s environmental movement Mars sa Kolubare filed the reports claiming that Euro Lithium was drilling on farm land, contrary to agriculture laws. The movement said that inspectors postponed their visit to the sites for next week.