In Lithuania, it is planned to build the largest wind farm in the Baltics with 70 wind turbines, the height of which will reach 270 meters. Environmental specialists are confident that the wind turbine park with the vibrations created will have an impact on sinkhole formation.
“People know that it happens here that large chunks of earth crumble into the underground and great empty patches are revealed. And in the context of these windmill giant turbines, these processes could intensify, which is the main factor and the main concern why the Skaistkalne locals are worried,“ explained Valērijs Gabrāns, environmental specialist at Bauska Municipality Council.
The distance of the proposed wind farm from Skaistkalne is only 1.2 kilometers.
Lithuania – where it is planned to build this wind farm – also has a sinkhole zone there. Locals feel threatened because no safety or risk information has been provided. No research work has been carried out either.
“People have houses there, and if they are on a sinkhole, that house will go to ruin,” said Ona, a resident of Skaistkalne.
Environmental experts said concerns were not only about sinkholes, but also the rivers Mēmele and Iecava
“By causing these sinkhole processes on an even larger scale, we could also shift the basins of these rivers,” Valērijs Gabrāns said.
The State Environment Supervision Bureau has informed the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment about cross-border impact aspects that need to be addressed in the environmental impact assessment as well as the need to organize a public consultation meeting.
“The Lithuanian side should provide us, as an impacted state, with an equivalent opportunity to familiarize ourselves with this environmental impact assessment report and make proposals in writing to both the public and institutions regarding this prepared environmental impact assessment report,” explained Vineta Maskava, an expert at the Environment Bureau.
