Environmental protection agency challenges police decision over Nemunas river dredging in Kaunas

The Lithuanian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has appealed a police decision not to launch a pre-trial investigation into the allegedly illegal dredging of the Nemunas riverbed in Kaunas during pedestrian bridge construction, LRT reports.

The agency argues that authorities failed to properly assess all relevant circumstances and potential environmental harm when declining to investigate. In mid-April, the EPA had requested that Kaunas County’s chief police commissariat open a probe into suspected violations of environmental laws during the riverbed deepening works.

Police rejected the request, stating that no significant environmental damage or severe consequences had been identified. However, the EPA maintains that the decision overlooked applicable criminal code provisions and the agency’s own evidence demonstrating substantial harm to the ecosystem.

According to the EPA, factual evidence suggests possible criminal activity, and the pre-trial investigation did not exhaust all options for gathering critical data. The agency also notes that the dredging and cleaning works were not included in the municipal project approvals.

An expert assessment by Vilnius University’s Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences further concluded that the works had impacted the river’s hydromorphology. “This supports findings of not only significant environmental damage but also other serious ecological consequences,” the EPA stated.

The agency has pledged to continue pursuing a comprehensive evaluation of all case-related circumstances.