Center for State Ecological Expertise

Public hearings are open meetings or gatherings regarding construction projects in our country, with a focus on strict adherence to environmental requirements during their implementation, as well as circumstances that may significantly impact the environment and society.

This process involves government bodies, local authorities, non-governmental non-profit organizations, project developers, specialists, and ordinary citizens. Representatives from environmental and nature protection authorities participate in public hearings as observers. The organizers of public hearings are district and city hokimiyats (local governments).

The purpose of the event is to provide the public with complete information about construction projects, to hear citizens' opinions and suggestions, to discuss the project's environmental impact with the public, and to make a decision on the project taking their views into account.

Before the implementation of a specific project, construction, or production activity, detailed, complete, and understandable information about the project must be presented to the public during the hearings.

In particular, the exact address of the project site, the type and purpose of the activity, information on work processes and their duration, the type of product and the technologies used for its production, the equipment to be installed and its specifications, the necessary conditions for its operation, and preferably safety-related information should be provided. This includes the types of energy and resources used in the production process, factors contributing to air, water, and soil pollution, as well as noise, radiation, and other environmental impacts of the production process.

Today, public hearings for activities of high and medium risk are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Regulation on the Procedure for Conducting Public Hearings on Environmental Impact Assessment Projects", approved by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers.

From January 1 to May 31, 2024, experts from the State Center for Environmental Expertise of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional branches, and the Tashkent city branch issued 9,782 expert opinions on facilities classified as medium, low, and locally hazardous (categories I–IV). Of these, 6,282 projects were submitted for public hearings and approved by the public, while 699 documents were either rejected or returned for revision.

Cases in which documents are sent for revision or a negative expert opinion is issued:

• If public hearings on the project were not conducted, or the population did not approve the project during the hearings;

• If public hearings were not held and documented in accordance with the requirements of Appendix 3 of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 541;

• If the land plot selected for the planned activity is located within the sanitary protection zone of residential buildings;

• If the production processes and the environmental conditions of the surrounding area are not fully covered;

• If the sources, indicators, and volume of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere contradict regulatory requirements or are incorrectly calculated;

• If the water source used in the production process, the required volume of water, wastewater, or treatment methods do not meet regulatory requirements or are incorrectly calculated;

• If the waste generated during production processes—its types, hazard level, volume, storage locations, and disposal methods—do not comply with regulatory requirements or are incorrectly calculated;

• If there is a risk of damage to green spaces on the selected land plot, tree felling, or if other deficiencies are found in the project documentation that prevent an environmental assessment of the area.