Serious
threats to Poland and the region of Central and Eastern Europe
Dear Sirs,
We, the Polish
Community, address you – International Community regarding the threats to
the energetic and economic security of Poland in relation to the very poor
condition of transport infrastructure of the City of Płock – a strategic fuel
and energetic centre of Poland (commonly known as the Capital of Polish Chemistry)
and a region of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Baltic States
(Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) – a large urban agglomeration of about 200
thousand citizens, the sixth centre in Poland in economic terms, at the same
time a key centre ensuring functioning of the economy of the whole country and
its defence safety, and thus the safety of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as
well as the European Union in this part of Europe. These issues
are all the more relevant in the face of the tense international situation and
the crisis in Ukraine.
In Poland
there are only two oil refineries. The largest oil refinery in Poland, belonging to Polish oil company Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN S.A. (PKN ORLEN S.A.), (English: Polish Oil Concern ORLEN S.A.),
headquartered in Płock, is located in Płock. It is one of the largest
refineries in this part of Europe. In Płock also the main and largest
production plant of PKN ORLEN S.A. is
located – one of the
largest refinery and petrochemical complexes in Europe. PKN ORLEN S.A. is the largest company in Poland and Central and
Eastern Europe. It is also a region of
a great and strategic oil industry. More information about this great oil
industry can be found further in this letter.
Unfortunately,
this strategic area lacks adequate transport infrastructure. This is very
dangerous because it hinders the functioning of this strategic industry
localized in Płock as well as threatens the energetic safety and economy of
Poland. Citizens and the environment in the region are also endangered.
This
strategic area needs also adequate evacuation routes – expressways
(dual carriageways) – to serve emergency services and to
ensure a rapid response in case of incidents (for example
serious industrial accidents or acts of
sabotage and terrorism) as well as double-track railways for the
safe transport of dangerous substances.
Visual map
presenting the postulated transport infrastructure (the most important and with
the fastest possible implementation): http://s6.ifotos.pl/img/mapofthep_exaesaa.jpg
Visual map
presenting the postulated double-track
railway (the most important and with the fastest possible implementation): http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8610/mapaliniikolejowych0.jpg
Visual map presenting
the postulated transport infrastructure near Płock (in Polish): http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img513/9049/rv8q.jpg
Visual map presenting the postulated the
Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) for Płock and other strategic centres
of Poland with the proposed the course of the roads: http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img62/4333/szy3.jpg
Above the
maps placed on the website Roads for Płock and the region (Polish: Drogi dla Płocka i
regionu): http://drogidlaplocka.ubf.pl/news.php
The lack
of adequate transport infrastructure in this strategic area is particularly
dangerous in the winter. Winters in Poland are often snowy and severe, which
sometimes makes roads such as these in Płock and this region impassable.
Many years of
neglect of the road and railway infrastructure, the constantly growing traffic,
forecast with the further upward trend on the described area in the absence of
new implementations of investments imply dangers of extraordinary scale as a
result of concentrated here huge amounts of very dangerous substances,
including substances creating mass threat for the inhabitants of Płock
and its region, but also for the safety and stable operation of the whole
country.
In the case of dangers connected with multiannual
negligence relating to transport infrastructure in Płock and threats concerning
the transport of dangerous substances, the City Council of Płock has taken its
stand in the unanimously adopted appeal addressed to the central and provincial
authorities on the Special XXII Session of the City Council of Płock, on 18
April 2010 as follows (source: Public Information Bulletin of the Office of
the City of Plock), (website in Polish): http://bip.ump.pl/?show_cat=sr1zATpT
Photo and
film documentation showing the very poor state of transport infrastructure in
the city of Płock and its region as well as the resulting risks to life and
health of the population and industrial hazards in this area at selected
locations (all materials contained in the following links are created by us and
you can use them free of charge and for any purpose), (in Polish);
to view on-line with active links and also PDF file download:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-twxXdCgZ7oTFRuc1I3NWFKZG8/edit
This
documentation is mentioned also later in the letter.
Neglecting
the transport infrastructure of Płock and the lack of actions of the Polish
Government in the context of dangers connected with the threats of the located
here great oil industry strategic for the country worry many engineering and
technical environments, including environments connected with the chemical
industry in Płock, road construction and various kinds of services – Police,
Fire Brigade and Medical Services. Written positions in this matter, which we received
from the Police Department in Płock, National Headquarters of the State Fire Service of
Poland, Municipal Headquarters of the State Fire Service in
Płock, Regional Ambulance Service and Sanitary Transport in
Płock, have been sent to the European Parliament within the petitions submitted
by us, what is described below.
Link to the article about the seminar devoted to the
difficult situation with the transport infrastructure in Płock and its region,
which took place in February 2012 (source: PortalPłock), (article in Polish): http://portalplock.pl/pl/334_informacje/1005_plock_miasto_daleko_od_szosy.html
The requirements
for the construction of transport infrastructure in Płock and the region are also
supported by the many state and local government bodies (including, among
others. by Mazovia Provincial Inspector for Environmental Protection, as
confirmed by the document: http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img42/7986/r90b.jpg) as
well as by the Polish fuel sector – mainly PKN
ORLEN S.A.
Links to the
original letters;
from the Fire Service (National Headquarters), (the
second petition no. 2534/2013): http://www.ifotos.pl/zobacz/DSC0783--_enaqssq.JPG
Environment
and municipal authorities as well as the whole community of Płock are also
concerned about the lack of suitable recognition of Płock in the plans for the
construction of a transport infrastructure network in Poland. Another issue is
the lack of the realistically specified, not distant investments concerning the
construction of this infrastructure for Płock in the document accepted by the
Polish Government National Spatial Development Concept 2030 (NSDC 2030), on 13
December 2011. The law, however, allows the Polish Government to introduce
changes of a part or the document at any given time.
Link to the
document National Spatial Development Concept 2030 (NSDC 2030), (PDF file in
English): http://tnij.org/sr33dvg
As a result
of the petition submitted in 2012 to the European Parliament, concerning the
long-term neglect of the transport infrastructure of Płock and its region,
registered under the number 0764/2012, it was recognized by the Committee of
the European Parliament Petitions as admissible.
Link to the website of the general register of the
European Parliament, on which there is, among others, the above described
petition, registered under the number 0764/2012: http://tnij.at/20604
Recently, another petition, registered under the
number 2534/2013 in this case has been submitted to the European Parliament and
is now being examined: http://tnij.at/20605
Due to the
risks described here in Płock and surrounding region public protests with the
participation of the Local Government of the City of Płock are getting worse. Below
are links to articles describing some of the protests;
article on the protest of November 27th, 2013 (source:
Gazeta Wyborcza), (article
in Polish): http://plock.gazeta.pl/plock/1,35710,15030022.html
article on the protest of February 2nd, 2014 (source: PetroNews.pl), (article in
Polish):
http://petroecho.pl/plocki-sld-chce-wyprowadzic-tranzyt-z-miasta-i-znow-zablokuje-drogi/
http://petroecho.pl/plocki-sld-chce-wyprowadzic-tranzyt-z-miasta-i-znow-zablokuje-drogi/
article on the protest of March 27th, 2014 r. (source:
Tygodnik Płocki, English: Płock Weekly), (article in
Polish):
http://www.tp.com.pl/wydarzenia/blokada-na-ul-granicznej.html
http://www.tp.com.pl/wydarzenia/blokada-na-ul-granicznej.html
Further
protests are announced in Płock and other parts of the Mazovia Province.
The transport
infrastructure described above, contributes to the use of the longest and
largest river of Poland – the Vistula River (Polish: Wisła) for inland
waterway transport of goods on a large scale. Płock is located on the eastern
edge of the Włocławek Reservoir (Polish: Zbiornik Włocławski or
Włocławek Lake, Polish: Jezioro Włocławskie) – an artificial reservoir dam on the Vistula River which is
the largest artificial reservoir water in Poland. This is excellent space to
create a logistics center and to bring together different modes of transport,
i.e. inland waterway, road transport and rail transport through intermodal
hubs. The Vistula River on the section Gdańsk–Warszawa (including Płock) is an
international waterway E40.
Link to the map of the international waterway E40 (the
website Roads for Płock and the region):
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2516/drogiwodne.jpg
Inland waterway transport on the Vistula River also
contributes largely to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Poland, as well
as to implement the European Commission's strategy, contained in the document White
Paper – Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area (PDF file in
English): http://www.vlaamsehavencommissie.be/sites/default/files/documenten/WHP-001%20EN.pdf
The Regional
Government of the Mazovia Province has already taken steps to restore
navigation on the Vistula River in its lower parts and signed an agreement on
this matter in Elbląg (Warmia-Masuria Province) in July 2013 with the Regional
Government of the Kuiavia-Pomerania Province, the Regional Government of the
Pomerania Province and the Regional Government of the Warmia-Masuria Province –
the provinces located also on the lower section of the Vistula River (source:
article from a Polish daily Dziennik Bałtycki), (article in
Polish): http://tnij.org/yoktaxu
Moreover, the
Regional Government of the Mazovia Province is involved in the following
project INWAPO (in English): http://tnij.org/69ul7aa
Link to a rough scheme presenting the use of
postulated transport infrastructure for Płock to inland waterway transport on
the Vistula River (the website Roads for
Płock and the region): http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4365/schematpoczeinfrastrukt.jpg
All the
issues described here are supported by the Regional Government of the Mazovia
Province and authorities of Płock. Issues concerning support by the Regional
Government of the Mazovia Province and authorities of Płock for the
implementation of the road and rail infrastructure schemes, are described later
in this letter.
Due to the
fact that Płock is located in the central part of the country, the postulated
transport infrastructure can solve many important problems and help to achieve
economies of (in addition to those mentioned above) many large urban
agglomerations and a large area of Poland at a relatively low cost:
– improve
territorial integrity of Poland,
– result in better
connection of the Warmia-Masuria Province to the A2 motorway,
– relieve
Warszawa road network – especially in the long run, when the extension of the
postulated expressway (bypassing Warszawa) on the section
Koło–Kutno–Płock–Glinojeck or Płońsk and S7 expressway to Łomża and S61
expressway (Via Baltica road) as well as to the S8 expressway leading to
Białystok, which also allows for better and faster heavy transit traffic on the
line Western Europe–Poland–Baltic States and from Western Europe to Russia,
strengthening the territorial integrity of the European Union (link to the map:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img822/2401/uuba.jpg),
– improve
communication among urban agglomerations located on the Vistula River, i.e. on
the section Bydgoszcz–Toruń–Płock–Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki (Modlin Airport) and
further in the direction of Warszawa (in the case of rail transport also
Włocławek), (the map mentioned above),
– increase
the economic development of this part of Poland
and restore
the navigability of the Vistula River at the same time:
– create
savings in transport economy,
– relieve the
land transport,
– increase
road safety,
– increase
economic development in the area described.
Unfortunately,
there is still too little involvement of the Polish Government in this case.
The Supreme Audit Office released a crushing report
about inland waterways in Poland, which shows that the transport of goods by
rivers does not actually exist. The main reason for this is the disastrous
state of waterways resulting from years of neglect (source: article from biztok in Polsih, article of April 3rd,
2014): http://www.biztok.pl/gospodarka/druzgocacy-raport-niku-o-zegludze-srodladowej-w-polsce_a15862
In Poland
also a number of funds were lost that could be utilized to implement the above-described
transport infrastructure, improving to a large extent the economic and
energetic security of the country, while leveraging the enormous potential of
the biggest Polish river – the Vistula for the economic and environmentally
friendly inland water transport.
Forbes Magazine published an article in which it was
described how in recent years, only with the construction of roads in Poland,
as a result of a number of corruption scandals, the Polish Government has lost
as much as five billion Euro.
Link to the article from Forbes, article of March 8th, 2013 (article in English): http://www.forbes.pl/fixing-on-the-roads-in-poland,artykuly,143374,1,1.html
This is not
an isolated incident, as similar incidents of public money wasting happen in Poland
quite often.
These issues
have been raised and submitted in the form of applications by us to the
Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission
during the public consultation in early 2014.
For the above
reasons, we turn to you with a polite request to lobby the highest bodies of
the European Union and many other bodies of opinion to urge the Polish
Government to take action in all matters described in this letter, which is
very important both in terms of energy security and threats to strategic
industries, located in Płock as well as to restore navigability in the lower
section of the Vistula River causing large reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions.
The great
economic potential of Płock – the sixth Polish economic centre – cannot be
fully exploited. An example of such a potential, (apart from the abovementioned
inland waterway transport on the Vistula River) is the Płocki Park Przemysłowo-Technologiczny S.A. (PPPT), (English: Płock Industrial and Technological Park S.A.), located near the refinery and
petrochemical complex of Production Plant PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock.
Description of the investment offer of the PPPT
can be found on the
website Invest in Poland (in English): http://www.paiz.gov.pl/investment_support/industrial_and_technology_parks/plock
Some selected
applications for transport infrastructure submitted by PKN ORLEN S.A. and by Sylwester Fiet: – the
organizer of the campaign promoting the implementation of safe transport
infrastructure for the City and the region of Płock and also the author of the
website Roads for Płock and the region (Polish: Drogi dla Płocka i
regionu): http://drogidlaplocka.ubf.pl/news.php, to
the document Mazovia Province Development Strategy are listed below;
applications
submitted by PKN ORLEN S.A.:
position in
the table below: 1314 (page 242) no. application: 96/01–1337 (page 249) no.
application: 120/01,
applications
for transport infrastructure submitted by Sylwester Fiet:
position in
the table below: 1270 (page 235) no. application: 139/01 – application for the fastest possible implementation of expressways (dual carriageways) on
sections of national roads, i.e. national road no. 2 section Koło–Kutno,
national road no. 60 section Kutno–Płock–Glinojeck and national road no. 62
section Włocławek–Płock–Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki,
link to the
document: http://www.mbpr.pl/user_uploads/image/PRAWE_MENU/PROJEKT%20STRATEGII/WNIOSKI.pdf
Applications
to the Mazovia Province Development Strategy in another document
submitted by Sylwester Fiet and Jan Wyrębkowski, M.Sc. Eng. – biographical note
of engineer Jan Wyrębkowski can be found on the website Mosty Polskie (English: Polish
Bridges): http://www.mostypolskie.pl/jan-wyrebkowski,346,.html;
applications
for transport infrastructure submitted by Sylwester Fiet:
position in
the table below: 2115 (page 214), no. application: 38/01 – application for the implementation of two expressways (dual carriageways) crossing near Płock, which are
now part of national roads: national road no. 2 section Koło–Kutno, national
road no. 62 section Włocławek–Płock–Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki and section
Płock–Lipno connected with the A1 motorway as well as the implementation of
road-rail bridge in the village
of Maszewo near Płock,
position in
the table below: 2116 (page 214), no. application: 38/02 – application for the implementation of two sections of the conventional
railway, i.e. double-track
railway sections: Włocławek–Płock–Modlin (Modlin – the district of Nowy Dwór
Mazowiecki with the airport) and implementation of the second track railway
section Płock–Kutno, including the railway crossing the Vistula River (road-rail bridge in the village of Maszewo
near Płock),
applications
to strategy submitted by Jan Wyrębkowski, M.Sc. Eng.:
position in
the table below: 2024 (page 208), no. application: 13/02 – application for the zoning plan development of functional area Płock as
a problem area with a high risk of industrial accidents,
position in
the table below: 2096 (page 212), no. application: 231/01 – please, take especially into account the
agglomeration of Płock where a refinery and petrochemical plant is located – a
complex of facilities of strategic importance for the domestic economy that
also collects huge amounts of hazardous materials and products which together
create an increased risk for the population and the environment,
All of the
above mentioned applications, including the postulated transport infrastructure
(maps posted above), and applications submitted by PKN ORLEN S.A., to
this strategy are considered fully justified and are supported by the Regional
Government of the Mazovia Province. There are many other proposals transport
infrastructure and security of the region considered fully justified in this strategy.
Only some of them are listed above.
In Płock and
its area there are more often occurring serious threats due to malfunctions and
damages of the technical infrastructure connected with rail and road
transportations of dangerous chemical substances.
Source: a
document of the Council of the Płock District Program of environmental
protection in the Płock county for the period of 2011–2015 with the perspective
to the year 2018. Transport of dangerous substances page 59 (document in
Polish): http://tnij.org/2fjks2d
Therefore,
there is the absolute necessity to build expressways with the dual carriageway
standard of high capacity and condition of being passable to the agglomeration
of Płock, connecting the centre of Płock with main Road in the country in order
to carry out an effective, potential fire and rescue action, conducted from the
whole country and evacuation action of the residents of the city and its areas
during the potential, serious industrial accident with the participation of
strategic objects for the energetic safety of the country and the whole economy
in the country – the biggest in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe oil
refinery and petrochemical industry, located in the main and largest production
plant of the PKN ORLEN S.A. located in Płock, where the oil concern also
has its headquarters, which production of oil
covers up to 60 percent of the whole demand for fuel in Poland and from which
fuels is transported through pipes to the biggest agglomerations in the country
or the largest resource base of oil in Poland, located in Miszewko
Strzałkowskie near Płock, belonging to the Przedsiębiorstwo
Eksploatacji Rurociągów Naftowych "Przyjaźń”
S.A. (PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A.), (English: Enterprise
of Exploiting Oil Pipelines "Friendship"
S.A.) with
the headquarters in Płock, located by the
strategic oil pipeline Przyjaźń (English: Druzhba Pipeline or Friendship
Pipeline) and the planned oil pipeline Odessa–Brody–Płock–Gdańsk. The
current state of road infrastructure of the single road standard in this area
makes it impossible to conduct an effective action on such scale during the
potential real in terms threatening with a serious industrial malfunction or
emergency events, that have occurred as a result of actions of the sabotage or
terrorist actions, with the participation of the above mentioned strategic
objects for the whole country.
Quote of the
text about the strategy of the Production Plant PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock and
energetic safety of Poland, from the material "Works
of the Committee of the Industry Geography",
Authors: Andrzej Wieloński, Janusz Machowski. Warsaw–Cracow 2008. No 10.
Processes of transformations of the selected industries in Poland and around
the world – Energetic safety of Poland, page 89:
PKN ORLEN AND
THE ENERGETIC SAFETY OF POLAND
Fuel and
petrochemical company PKN ORLEN S.A. in the conditions of the market economy
has transformed into one of the biggest corporations of the oil industry in
Central and Eastern Europe. Refineries in Płock, Jedlicze and Trzebinia
included in the Capital Group PKN ORLEN S.A. have ¾ capacities of Polish
refineries. Refinery in Płock, with the capacity potential of 17,8 million of
oil per year, due to its strategic location is – next to the transit pipeline "Przyjaźń" –
the greatest Polish refinery processing heavy/sour oil of the REBCO type,
supplied from Russia for fuel and intermediates for the petrochemical
processing.
Website address of the above mentioned source (PDF
file in Polish): http://www.up.krakow.pl/geo/kgpptg/pdf/ptg10/wielonski_machowski10.pdf
Logistic
infrastructure (information with a map) used by the ORLEN Group in Poland
(the first link below) and Europe (the second link below) – website the PKN
ORLEN S.A. – The map on this website shows the virtually all
existing oil infrastructure in Poland. (websites in
English): http://www.raportroczny.orlen.pl/report_en_logistics_pipelines_2011
Logistic
infrastructure (information with a map) in Europe: http://www.raportroczny.orlen.pl/report_en_logistics_2011
In contrast
to other European countries, in Poland there are only two real fuel
manufacturers, these are: the oil refinery in Gdańsk, belonging to LOTOS
Group S.A. with the processing power about 10 million tons of oil per year
(210,000 bbl/d – 33,000 m3/d) and the oil refinery in Płock – the main and
largest refinery of PKN ORLEN S.A.
with the processing power about 14,5 million tons of oil per year
(276,000 bbl/d – 43,900 m3/d).
List of all oil refineries in Poland and their
capacities (reference: Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_refineries#Poland
PKN ORLEN
S.A. is also the largest company in the region of Central
and Eastern Europe.
Link to the article about the ranking of 500 largest
companies in Central and Eastern Europe according to Deloitte (PDF
document bellow; page 42. Table 10: CE Top 500 ranking – 2013;
PDF document in English):
http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Ukraine/Local%20Assets/Documents/CE%20Top%20500/CETop500_2013_eng.pdf
http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Ukraine/Local%20Assets/Documents/CE%20Top%20500/CETop500_2013_eng.pdf
Link to information on the refinery in Płock on the
website PKN ORLEN S.A. (website in English): http://www.raportroczny.orlen.pl/report_en_refinery_poland_2011
Quote from
the website PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A.:
PERN
"Przyjaźń" S.A. is a leader of petroleum logistics on its domestic
market, and a strategic company which guarantees the energy security of Poland,
and thus also that of the European Union, within the scope of crude oil supplies.
The Company's basic activity is the operation of the network of crude oil
pipelines, transporting Russian crude oil for the largest producers of fuels in
Poland, as well as in Germany. The two lines of the "Przyjaźń"
pipeline, which span from Adamowo, situated at the Polish-Belarussian border,
to Płock, and then to Schwedt in Germany.
Apart from
the network of crude oil pipelines, PERN "Przyjaźń" S.A. also owns a
network of product pipelines, used for transporting liquid fuels produced by
refineries. This network radiates from Płock towards Warsaw, Poznań and
Częstochowa. Yet another service, crucial for the energy security of the
country, rendered by PERN "Przyjaźń" S.A., is the storage of crude
oil.
Link to the
website PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A. (website in English):
http://www.pern.com.pl/?q=en/node/111
http://www.pern.com.pl/?q=en/node/111
Infrastructure
PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A. (information with a map) for the transport of oil –
website the PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A. (website in English):
http://www.pern.com.pl/?q=en/node/140
http://www.pern.com.pl/?q=en/node/140
Production
Plant PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock with the area of about eight
hundred hectares (800 hectares) i.e. about eight million square metres (8
million square metres), accumulates in its area amount of dangerous substances
not met anywhere else in Poland, as much as about a million three hundred
thousand tons (1 300 000 tons).
Source of data about the area of the Production
Plant PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock (website the PPPT in English):
http://www.pppt.pl/EN/Press/InterestingFacts/Pages/PPPT-is-an-area-of-over-200-ha-.aspx?pageNumber=1
http://www.pppt.pl/EN/Press/InterestingFacts/Pages/PPPT-is-an-area-of-over-200-ha-.aspx?pageNumber=1
Source of
accurate data with the list of specific dangerous substances and amounts of
these substances, found in the above mentioned industrial plants: Mazovia
Province Office – System’s action plan. National Medical Rescue for the Mazovia
Province – Production Plant PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock – table on p. 23
and PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A. – table on p. 24 (PDF file in Polish): http://www.spzoz.eu/files/Plan_PRM_1.pdf
A similar
amount of dangerous substances, i.e. about a million three hundred thousand
tons (1 300 000 tons) in the form of the stored oil is currently in the Resource
Base PERN "Przyjaźń"
S.A., located at a distance of about 2 kilometres
(1.24 miles) from Płock.
Both of the
above mentioned industrial plants are the Plants of Big Risk (ZDRs) of a
serious industrial accident with a large concentration of dangerous substances,
including substances creating mass threat, flammable, extremely
flammable and explosive, as well as highly toxic substances, corrosive and
harmful to health, especially during the potential malfunction especially for
the residents of the city and areas within a radius of at least several
kilometres.
Moreover, in
Płock and its region, there are conducted numerous transports of dangerous
substances through a city with tanks in a very heightened and constantly
growing traffic in Płock and its area and on country roads leading to Płock,
i.e. the national road no. 60 and national road no. 62 and a dozen of
transports in a day of railway freight deposits, on a single-track railway no. 33 through central
areas of the city, filled with dangerous petroleum substances from the refinery
and petrochemical industry in Płock and the transport of oil and final products
through pipelines.
It should
also be noted that all kinds of highly specialized emergency services,
including fire-fighting units,
chemical and others, stationed in Płock due to insufficient communication
connections of Płock with the rest of the country, during potential crisis
events in other areas of Poland have limited possibilities in the context of
giving sufficient and immediate, often indispensible, intervention.
Links to
photos from study (the internet address to the whole study with the map and
locations of the registered photos and films are given in the further part of
the paper) of main road of Płock – national roads: national road no. 60 and
national road no. 62 in the exit from Płock and the monorail, running through
the central regions of the city:
Photo 2.
Outlet of the national road no. 62 from the city (ul. Popłacińska) – view in
the eastern direction.
Płock, 4
September (Tuesday) 2012, hour: 17.17 CEST: http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/6149/dsc5354z.jpg
Photo 4.
Outlet of the national road no. 60 from the city (ul. Bielska) – view in the
southern direction.
Płock, 28
August (Tuesday) 2012, hour: 17.09 CEST: http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8305/dsc5000k.jpg
Photo 7.
Outlet of the national road no. 62 from the city (ul. Wyszogrodzka) – view in
the eastern direction.
Płock, 29
August (Wednesday) 2012, hour: 12.47 CEST: http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/8877/dsc5089a.jpg
Photo 11. Outlet
of the national road no. 60 from the city (ul. Kutnowska) – view in the
northern direction.
Płock, 4
September (Tuesday) 2012, hour: 14.54 CEST: http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/333/dsc5287.jpg
Film 6.
Transport of dangerous substances, carried out by the railway through rail
crossings intersecting the Avenue of Marshal Józef Piłsudski and ul.
Wyszogrodzka and densely populated areas of Płock. The train running from the
refinery and petrochemical complex in Płock, belonging to PKN ORLEN S.A. with
tanks filled with petroleum products in the southern direction.
Płock, 5 September (Wednesday) 2012, hour: 16.23–16.26
CEST: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVltwcZZEU8&feature=youtu.be
Photo 45.
Multi-family residential
buildings near railway tracks, on which the transport of dangerous substances
from the refinery and petrochemical complex in Płock is conducted. Surroundings
of the railway crossing on the Avenue of Marshal Józef Piłsudski (district Międzytorze on the northern side of the Avenue
of Marshal Józef Piłsudski).
Płock, 5
September (Wednesday) 2012, hour: 18.22 CEST: http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/764/dsc5670rn.jpg
Substances
posing mass threat and other, occurring in the area of
the Production Plant PKN ORLEN in Płock;
Substances
posing mass threat;
liquid gas
propane-butane: extremely
flammable gas, (substance posing mass threat),
hydrogen
sulphide: extremely flammable gas, very toxic, (substance posing mass threat),
hydrogen
fluoride: very toxic and corrosive substance, (substance posing mass threat),
chlorine:
toxic, irritant, dangerous for the environment substance, (substance posing
mass threat).
Extremely,
highly flammable, corrosive, toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, environmentally
harmful, irritant, harmful substances:
crude oil,
fuel oils, motor gasoline, aviation fuel – including, main petrochemical
products:
ethylene and
propylene, toluene, benzene, xylenes, acetones, butadiene, glycols, ethylene
oxide, phenol.
The source of above data: Production Plant PKN
ORLEN S.A. in Płock – pt 5. Types of dangerous substances – including substances
posing mass threat, occurring in the area of Production Plant PKN ORLEN
S.A. in Płock (PDP file in Polish): http://www.orlen.pl/PL/OdpowiedzialnyBiznes/Documents/Informcje_na_temat_srodkow_bezpieczenstwa.pdf
The above PDF file is on the website PKN ORLEN S.A.
at the following address (the first PDF file from the top – Information
on the safety measures, PDF file in Polish): http://www.orlen.pl/PL/OdpowiedzialnyBiznes/OtoczenieSpoleczne/Strony/Bezpieczenstwo.aspx
Link to the website Roads for Płock
and the region, concerning the campaign for the construction of safe
transport infrastructure for Płock and its region with information coming from
many official sources (website in Polish, the website has multilingual
translator): http://drogidlaplocka.ubf.pl/news.php
Link to the
map placed on the website Roads for Płock and the region, showing the
enormity of industrial threats in Płock and its region in the extraordinary
scale: http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8400/mapapockakopia.jpg
Link to the
satellite map of the above presented region of Płock on Google Maps: http://tnij.org/udyx9q4
A disturbing
event, which took place in the city of Płock in recent times was the collision
of the freight train, driving dangerous substances from the Production Plant
PKN ORLEN S.A. in Płock with a passenger vehicle on the unguarded rail
crossing on ul. Zielona in the left bank district of Płock Radziwie in urban
areas, on 26 January 2013.
Source of information – Gazeta Wyborcza in Płock (article
in Polish): http://plock.gazeta.pl/plock/1,35710,13303298,Wypadek_w_Plocku__zderzenie_z_pociagiem.html
The place of the event, i.e. rail crossing on ul.
Zielona in Płock on Google Maps: http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7021/wypadekpocigu.jpg
Satellite photo of the above mentioned place of event
on Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/?ll=52.527722,19.675089&spn=0.001317,0.002411&t=h&z=19
The
documentaries below reveal possible and very realistic scenarios that can
happen also in Płock, which in the long run can lead to unimaginably disastrous
consequences:
Train
explosion in Lac-Mégantic
(Province of Quebec, Canada), July 6, 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woZpKt4DlrA
Here, in
turn, the explosion of a piece of railway tanks with diesel (ON) seen from a
distance of about 2 kilometres (1.24 miles):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn516LZNv5w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn516LZNv5w
Here a small
plant producing rocket fuel, you can see the shock wave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KuGizBjDXo
The following
link shows the explosion of compressed natural gas (CNG), a situation likely to
arise in the vicinity of the railway crossing in Płock Al. Marshal Józef
Piłsudski: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI0QWm4TxZU
To learn about the cause of train derailment that
seems to be trivial see the video below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Nq632eV6I
As a result
of years of neglect concerning transport infrastructure in Płock – very
sensitive centre with great risks due to the chemical industry occurring here,
by the way strategic for the economy of the whole country, has threatened and
still threatens the safety of life and health of many thousands of its
citizens. At the moment of event, threat for life and health of people during the
mentioned accident as a result of the collision of both vehicles occurred not
only in reference to safety of the traffic, but most of all to the safety of
residents living around the railway line, on which there were and still are
transported dangerous chemical products from the Production Plant PKN ORLEN
S.A. in Płock.
One set of
goods carriages riding with dangerous products from the Production Plant PKN
ORLEN S.A. in Płock, in terms of quantity of the accumulated dangerous
substances, is compared to ten industrial plants, qualified to the category of
the Unit of Big Risk (ZDR).
Through
central districts of Płock there are carried out dozens of such railway
transports with dangerous substances per day, where in many places similar of
much more dangerous collisions may take place, resulting in the deprivation of
life and health of many residents.
At the
railway station PKP Płock-Trzepowo
there is run the loading of petroleum products from the Production Plant PKN
ORLEN S.A. in Płock in the amount of about three and a half thousand tons
(3 500 tons) daily.
Source of the
above data – Evaluation of the risk of the Mazovia Province in the peacetime
and war from the weapons of mass destruction and toxic industrial measures –
p. 12, Railway routes (website in Polish): http://tnij.org/4iyt4zw
It should be
noted that the vast majority of goods in the form of dangerous substances from
this plant is transported in the southern direction, meaning through the
central regions of Płock.
Due to
reasons, among others, of the course of the alternative, safe route of these
extremely dangerous railway transports, it is necessary to build a double-track railway line on the route
Włocławek–Płock–Modlin (Modlin Airport), bypassing the central regions of
Płock.
The link
below includes the internet address of the study Photographic and film
documentation – Płock 2012, concerning the condition of the road and
railway infrastructure in the area of Płock and its regions, as well as threats
for life and health of people resulting from it, as well as industrial threats
occurring on the above mentioned area in the selected places (the study is in
Polish):
to view on-line with active links and also PDF file download:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-twxXdCgZ7oTFRuc1I3NWFKZG8/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-twxXdCgZ7oTFRuc1I3NWFKZG8/edit
It should be
noted that this very sensitive area for the reasons mentioned above, concerning
the neglect of the transport infrastructure, is most probably the weakest link
in the country and region of Central and Eastern Europe, being the region
almost unprotected against all situations of the sabotage and terrorist nature.
In connection
with the above-cited facts and
threats to life and health of the inhabitants of Płock and its region and
threats connected with the facilities, located in the area of the city of Płock
and in its region, as strategic objects for the energetic safety of Poland and
connected with it the safe functioning of the whole economy of the country, as
the community of Płock towards the sluggishness of the Polish Government in
these matters, which have been repeatedly directed to them in writing, we
demanded and we still continue to demand from the Polish central authorities
the treatment of the matters concerning the deteriorating every moment
condition of all technical and transport infrastructure of Płock, which can at
any moment lead to extraordinary and incredibly huge, negative consequences for
the people of this strategic region and the whole Polish economy as an absolute
priority for Poland, having a direct relation with the safety of functioning of
the whole country and undertaking immediate actions, aiming at the improvement
of the current state and as fast as possible (i.e. from now on – 2013),
following arrangements and investment implementations:
the
connection of Płock with the expressway (dual carriageway) with the A1 motorway
in two road interchanges (interchanges: vicinity of Toruń and vicinity of
Gostynin), with the A2 motorway in one road interchange: vicinity of Koło, with
the S7 expressway in two road interchanges (interchange: vicinity of Glinojeck
or Płońsk and the vicinity of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki) and the connection of Płock
with the railway infrastructure through the implementation of the double-track railway on the section:
Włocławek–Płock–Modlin (Modlin Airport), also including Płock as the strategic
centre for the energetic safety of Poland and Polish economy for the main
infrastructure of the national and Trans-European
Transport Networks (TEN-T).
Link to the map with the postulated communication
connections (map developed in English): http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7501/mapofthepostulatedroads.jpg
The above
postulated communication sections (both road and rail), from now on, and even
more after their further expansion, can become the communication strings of
European importance.
Link to the
map from the website Roads for Płock and the region with suggestions of
the potential expansion of the postulated communication connections for Płock: http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4365/schematpoczeinfrastrukt.jpg
Link to the map with the current and accomplished
network of main roads in Poland (the website Invest in Poland): http://www.paiz.gov.pl/poland_in_figures/transport
Link to the map with the network of railway lines in
Poland and postulated railway connections for Płock: http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8610/mapaliniikolejowych0.jpg
Source of the
above map with the network of railway lines in Poland (website the PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.;
English: PKP Polish
Railway Lines S.A.):
http://www.plk-sa.pl/biuro-prasowe/mapy/
http://www.plk-sa.pl/biuro-prasowe/mapy/
Dear Sirs,
in connection with the facts presented above, again, we turn to you with a
polite request to give the highest level of priority of the issues described in
this letter, adequate to the scale of the signalled, real threats, especially
in contacts with the Polish Government and other central authorities of Poland
and the bodies of the European Union to make them undertake immediate actions
aiming at the improvement of the current condition in reference to the broadly
understood safety issues of Poland and this region of Europe, which were
pointed out in this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Polish Community
Poland, 2014
Poland, 2014