Victor Mykyta, the governor of Zakarpattia (Transcarpathian region of Ukraine), announced in May 2023 that the building of a new woodworking factory had started at Batiovo village. The construction is carried out by the company “BF Terminal”. Its beneficiary is Leonid Yurushev, the owner of Korosten MDF factory who is well known in timber industry.
The construction started together with violation of environmental regulations: the company began its work illegally without passing environmental impact assessment (EIA). However, as it turned out, that was the least problem because the company published EIA report recently.
Satellite photos of building area in June (at the top) and in November (below) 2023. The construction is carried out without compulsory conclusion from EIA.
According to the documents the factory plans to produce MDF (medium-density fiberboard). This requires timber in an amount of 94 cubic meters every month or 1.1 million cubic meters per year! This is more than 32,000 logging trucks per year, or about 88 logging trucks every day!
For comparison, approximately 1.2 million cubic meters of wood were cut down in Zakarpattia in 2022. So, if the factory has been built it will be able to consume all the timber of the region on its own!
Of course, the priority will be the use of Carpathian timber, because it is the nearest and cheapest. However, the company assessed neither the social nor environmental consequences of the factory construction in the EIA report at all. And the consequences can be significant.
First, the appearance of a large wood “eater” will encourage foresters to fell trees more actively that is why the Carpathian forests will be under a greater threat. Wood of any diameter is suitable for MDF production. Thus, more destructive sanitary loggings can take place in the mountains.
Second, small and medium-sized companies are engaged in woodworking in Zakarpattia, and there are no large factories there now. Consequently, the construction of “BF Terminal” will create problems for small woodworkers in the region. They can remain without raw materials being unable to withstand competition with the giant company. Statements of the governor that the factory will consume wood from other regions seem unconvincing.
The Ministry of Environment has not made a decision regarding the environmental and social safety of the factory construction yet. We have already sent our comments to the project. However, the chance of not allowing the construction is minimal. It is so minimal that the company has already started the illegal construction without waiting for a conclusion of EIA. By the way, we also appealed to the State Environmental Inspectorate on this issue, although without much hope.
Photo from the page of Victor Mykyta
