Despite the initial reticence of the Czech authorities to undertake an EIA due to the Micronesian request arriving fairly late in the planning stages of the plant, the Czech environment ministry has announced that it will allow in independent international assessment of the planned expansion.

Czech Environment Minister Jan Dusik told a press conference his government would ask an international group to review the project – which is also opposed by local environmental groups – to find out whether CEZ planned to use the best available technology.

He also said the ministry now views the expansion as a new plant, which means CEZ might have to make the refurbished Prunerov station more efficient than the utility has so far proposed due to improved EU and national legislation implemented since the original plant was built.

Micronesia’s request marks a new phase in environmental law, as developing nations and environmental advocates fight climate change on a global scale through legal tools which were previously reserved for nearby or cross-border environmental disputes.