The State Environmental Inspectorate went to court against the Zhytomyr Executive Committee for ignoring the protection of rivers and air

Environmentalists have filed a lawsuit against the city executive committee for their inaction in protecting the environment. According to the inspection results, the executive committee failed to fulfill its duties, including establishing the boundaries of protected areas, combating air pollution, and ensuring citizens’ access to rivers. Experts are demanding that the court compel the authorities to fulfill their obligations to protect the environment.

Pollution problems and inaction: accusations against the executive committee

The inspection conducted by ecologists at the end of 2024 revealed many serious shortcomings. As noted by Yevheniy Medvedovsky, the head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Polissya District, the Zhytomyr executive committee failed to fulfill its basic tasks in environmental protection.

The main shortcomings concern several areas:

Water resources and the coastline. The authorities did not establish the boundaries of protective strips near water bodies, which allows the development of the coastal territory. In addition, there is no free access to the Teteriv and Kamyanka rivers, which are popular recreation areas for residents. Environmentalists have repeatedly requested the removal of fences, but the response has been minimal — only a portion of the fences have been dismantled.
Air pollution problem. The Executive Committee has not fulfilled the legislative requirements for monitoring air quality. Relevant commissions have not been established, persons responsible for air control have not been appointed, and information has remained unavailable. This poses a threat to the health of residents in Zhytomyr.
Protected areas. The Zhytomyr community contains several objects of the nature reserve fund, such as “Dubovyy hay” and “Skelya Chotyry brati”. However, most of them exist only on paper — the boundaries are not defined, information signs are missing, and data is not entered into the State Land Cadastre, which makes them vulnerable to illegal use.
Judicial initiative for the sake of ecology

Due to the prolonged passivity of officials, the State Environmental Inspectorate has decided to file a lawsuit. According to Yevgeny Medvedovsky, the goal of this lawsuit is not only to punish the guilty, but also to force them to work for the benefit of citizens.

Environmentalists are asking the court to recognize the inaction of the executive committee as illegal and to oblige it to:

Establish the boundaries of coastal strips and sanitary protection zones.
Restore free access to rivers.
Organize an air quality monitoring system.
Determine the boundaries of the objects of the nature reserve fund.
This lawsuit is a significant step in the fight for environmental protection, demonstrating that the public and state bodies will not overlook the authorities’ inaction, especially when it comes to nature conservation.