Pärnu defence park raises safety and environmental concerns

Residents are worried about safety, noise and environmental impacts from a planned defence industry park at Ermistu near Pärnu, ERR reports. The Ministry of Defence says the site will be secured and expects the park to disrupt local life less than residents fear.

Up to seven companies are expected to produce ammunition at the park, which will cover 204 hectares. The state plans to build the infrastructure, after which selected companies will construct their factories. An ammunition depot is also planned nearby.

Päraküla resident Külly Selberg said the park and depot together would cover more than 300 hectares. She questioned what might happen to nearby residents if the complex were hit in an accident or attack. Selberg said villagers had not been instructed on what to do in an emergency. The Ministry of Defence said officials had met residents in Tõstamaa, Audru and Pärnu.

Indrek Sirp, a special adviser on defence industry development at the ministry, said ammunition production is tightly regulated. He said safety and security would be priorities, the area would be guarded, and storage buildings would be spaced sufficiently far apart.

There are 63 households within three kilometres of the planned park. Liina Käär, who lives in Lõuka village, said she chose the area for its quiet and clean air. Although construction is at an early stage, power lines and roads are already being built, and trucks are travelling quickly through the village, residents say.

Residents are also concerned about plans for an open-burning site and an ammunition testing area. The State Centre for Defence Investments said waste would mainly be burned in an enclosed facility, with open burning reserved for exceptional cases. It also said the effects of test detonations would be less significant than residents fear. Tests involving five to 10 kilograms of ammunition are planned for only three days a year, said Ivar Kaldasaun, the centre’s defence industry park portfolio manager.

Residents have also raised concerns about the Männiku River, which flows through the planned park. The Environmental Board has received numerous reports since summer that the river, where salmonids spawn, is not clean. Deputy Director General Olav Avarsalu said water test results were higher after heavy rain, when clay sediment was carried from a drainage ditch. So far, only one sample has exceeded the permitted limit, he said.

Construction of the main infrastructure is scheduled to begin next summer.