Leaseholder says Hvalfjord permit relies on unpassed bill

A leaseholder opposed to pumping caustic soda into Hvalfjörður says the research permit relies on a proposed law that has not been considered by parliament, mbl.is reports.

Haraldur Eiríksson, owner of Höklar ehf., which leases Laxá í Kjós, said the permit was granted on the basis of a proposed amendment that would allow this kind of research. The proposal has not gone through parliamentary consideration, he said, adding that a department office director signed the permit instead of the minister.

The permit allows Röst Marine Research Centre to pump caustic soda into the fjord this autumn for a field study of exchanges between the sea and the atmosphere. Opponents have raised concerns about potential effects on the ecosystem.

The proposed amendment is included in a draft bill to change the law on preventing pollution of the sea and coasts. The draft was published on the government’s consultation portal this summer, and the Foreign Ministry cited it in its letter granting Röst the permit.

Haraldur said the legal basis for the decision had not changed since last year, when the ministry rejected Röst’s application on the grounds that no legal framework existed for research of this kind. He also said the permit lacked a legal basis, despite Röst’s representatives saying they had taken some account of critics’ comments.