Lviv journalists to become detectives

The Lviv civic journalist organization WETI is beginning its own investigation into pesticides which have gone missing in the Mostysky district of the Lviv region. Pesticides in the border district were found back in November 2006. The district’s development programme for 2005-2010 allowed for the allocation of funding on using such chemicals. It was discovered as well that in the town of Sudova Vyshnya, one of the firms with a permit to store pesticides had not ensured safe storage conditions.  

The subsequent investigation revealed that the Mostysky district has an environmental catastrophe on its hand.  Lviv television recently reported the disappearance of the pesticides.

The journalists set to investigating the situation. It is extremely difficult to find the chemicals or even just discover where they were taken. The WETI journalists do not discount the possibility that they have been buried somewhere which would subject the local population to even greater danger.

They also stress that the theft of these pesticides is a serious environmental crime for which those guilty must be brought to answer.

WETI already has experience of journalist investigations.

One well-known case involved a reserve area local significance “Kornalovychi” in the Lviv region. Those with an interest in felling valuable oaks from the time of Khmelnytsky bribed scientists to issue expert assessments that the oaks were in poor condition and needed to be cut down immediately. On the basis of these assessments, the Lviv Regional Council had allowed the felling of the trees of the reserve land.

Hanna Halko, a well-known environmental journalist, gathered all those officials responsible and organized a press tour to “Kornalovychi” during which they witnessed the crime being committed on the territory of the reserve.

The journalists are hopeful that in this case they will succeed in finding those responsible for the disappearance of the pesticides.

Maryana Yartym