BERLIN (Sputnik) — On Monday, the public hearings, attended by the German state and public offices, public organizations and private individuals kicked off in the German city of Stralsund within the Nord Stream 2 project's authorization process. According to media reports, almost 200 complaints, objections and proposals regarding the project have been filed for the hearings. The hearings are expected to last until Friday.
"The interference with the environment during the pipeline construction, which we are planning, will be very selective, limited in space and time, since it will occur only in the active construction phase, and the nature recovers in this area quicker than many people expect," the Nord Stream 2 AG spokesperson said, commenting on the public hearings on the project's impact on the environment.
The spokesperson added that the company had presented the data and material, regarding the construction of the first Nord Stream pipeline, which proved the company's position. According to the spokesperson, the authorities, which are responsible for issuing a construction permit, are likely to positively evaluate the provided reasoning and reject the environmental organizations' criticism.
According to the spokesperson, the company is ready to answer all the questions, raised at the hearing, and provide its reasoning regarding each issue.
The Nord Stream 2 project presumes the construction of two gas pipelines with a combined annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas. The new pipeline is planned to be laid along the existing Nord Stream pipeline route from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea, on to a hub in Germany.
