Transport minister calls for investigation into environmental agency’s oversight of Nemunas dredging

The Lithuanian transport minister has urged law enforcement to examine whether the country’s environmental protection agency acted properly during two years of dredging works on the Nemunas River, following allegations of ecological damage, LRT reports.

Speaking at a maritime conference on Friday, Juras Taminskas questioned why the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) only identified violations after the works—carried out by the state-owned Inland Waterways Directorate (IWD)—were completed.

“The EPD saw nothing for two years while the dredging took place—no equipment, no activity on the Nemunas. Now, suddenly, they claim to see everything. The pre-trial investigation should determine whether the EPD fulfilled its duties over that period,” Taminskas said.

His comments follow a November 2025 decision by the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office to launch a pre-trial investigation into potential breaches of environmental regulations during the dredging near Alytus. The probe was triggered by EPD findings that the IWD—overseen by the Transport Ministry—deepened the riverbed without proper impact assessments, allegedly causing €8 million in environmental harm, including declines in fish, mollusc, and benthic populations.

The IWD has disputed the EPD’s conclusions and vowed to challenge them in court. The agency’s former director, Vladimir Vinokurov, was dismissed in November 2025 amid the controversy.

Taminskas also criticised what he described as excessive caution among environmental officials, stating that “fear of protests” was hindering necessary infrastructure projects. “We must overcome these fears, educate the public, and not surrender to intimidation,” he added.