ISTRIANS PROTEST AGAINST 'PLOMIN 2' COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT

FAZANA, Nov 2 (Hina) - Before an agreement on the Croatian-German society "Plomin 2" for ending construction of the Plomin coal-fired power plant was signed on Brijuni on Saturday, a non-governmental and non-political organization "Green Istria" and a civic initiative from the Istrian town of Labin severely protested against the agreement and Croatia's National Power's (HEP) intentions to build another coal-fired thermal power plant at the town of Plomin. In this eastern Istrian town at the Adriatic coast there is still an old coal-fired thermal power plant. Germany's Essen-based firm RWE-Energy and Croatia's National Power, Saturday signed the agreement on the joint society for ending the building of the other Plomin power plant. "Despite scientific evidence on harmful effect of coal on human health and environment, the HEP is assuring the public of the necessity of the reconstruction of the Plomin 1 coal-fired thermal power plant and completing the construction of the another Plomin 2 plant that will use imported coal," the head of the Labin civic initiative, Lucijan Mohorovic told a press conference at Fazana on Saturday. Mohorovic said the HEP was trying to give arguments for its move, that were not acceptable by experts in power industry. He announced that they would organize protest rallies throughout Croatia, in Germany and even in Strasbourg. The press conference was told that by insisting on coal for form of energy the HEP was refusing experience of developed countries which were using alternative sources of energy, ecologically acceptable. The "Green Istria" head, Latinka Janjanin, asked why the Croatian construction and housing ministry had stopped a referendum where citizens could vote for or against the another Plomin coal- fired power plant. After the news conference, a fifteen-minute-long rally was staged where Istrian County council members took part as well. The demonstrators had banners with slogans, "Let My Istria Be Bright", "Istria is not Chernobyl or "We Don't' Want Garbage of Others" (hina) mš 021933 MET nov 96