Spolek občanů Permanent

Prize for Courage 2018         CZK 18 396

Permanent has for years fended for the interests of Nymburk residents against the zinc plant, owned by the firm AZOS, later renamed APP s.r.o. The association’s activists initially minded an unacceptable odour and harmful combustion products in the air. Later they learned that the zinc plant was never actually approved and now they are exploring legal ways that would help them to stop the operation. They have scored some impressive successes along the way.

As proceedings continue, information has surfaced pointing at clientelist links between AZOS officials and local political figures, including Central Bohemia’s ex-governor, Miloš Petera. Many dissatisfied Nymburk citizens believe that he was instrumental in bringing AZOS to their town and securing the launching of an operation that hampers and actually threatens public law and order in Nymburk. Permanent warns of serious shortcomings of the permit to operate an AZOS sewage treatment plant, issued although the legal prerequisites were not met. Permanent discerned also the breach of terms of discharging waste water into the public sewerage network. We are talking about the period from 2013 to 2015, when Mr Petera, the ex-mayor who brought AZOS to Nymburk, was active in the Vodovody a kanalizace Nymburk water supply organization.

The Permanent civic association is uniquely active. They invest a lot of money into legal counselling, without which it would hardly be so successful. After several years, the Mladá Boleslav Construction Authority has revoked some its previous rulings and decided in favour of partial lockout of the zinc plant, operated by AZOS (now APP).

The Permanent civic association is often cited as a model and inspiration for activists fighting against a seemingly invincible cartel of big and wealthy corporations.