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Ecologists are hoping to change the position of Russia in respect of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 The position of Russia, that means her refusal to participate in the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, is a politically disadvantageous, and ecologists expect that in 2012 it will change, the Director of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia Igor Chestin said. The next, 17th, session of the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded in Durban on the 11 of December. Following the session, which became the longest in the history of the negotiations, the countries, in particular, have agreed in respect of the second period of the Kyoto Protocol. The head of Russian delegation to the Durban Presidential Aide, Special Representative on Climate Alexander Bedritsky in his speech confirmed that Russia will not participate in the second period. "The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, and we hope that - in this case it would no longer be only ecologists, but also a business - will persuade the government to change this position and join the majority", Chestin said. Chestin said that refusal to participate in the second period of the Kyoto Protocol is politically unfavorable decision. Head of WWF-Russia added that such a position of the country is disadvantageous for the business, which since 2013 will lose the opportunity to participate in the project mechanisms of the protocol. Let us recall that the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, which won’t be also joined by Canada and Japan, is to begin on the 1st of January 2013. The parties could not agree on when it will end, in 2017 or 2020 - it will be determined later in the session in Qatar in 2012. Official information about their obligations in the second period of the protocol will have to be provided the 1st of May.
Period of the Kyoto Protocol extended by five years Participants of the UN conference on climate have agreed to extend for 5 years period of the Kyoto Protocol that imposes developed countries and countries with transition economies to reduce or stabilize greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The first period of the protocol expires in 2012. It should be noted that negotiations on terms and conditions of prolongation of the term of the Kyoto Protocol have repeatedly ended in failure. Also a plan of the future document was adopted, which would oblige all countries, not just the industryialized ones, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The first-ever certificate of energy efficiency of ships was presented The world's first certificate of energy efficiency of ships was received by Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL). As it is stated in the announcement of the company, MOL continues its efforts to reduce harmful emissions from ships and improve their energy efficiency. Let us recall that in accordance with the 4th amendment to the appendix number 6 of MARPOL Convention, in 2012, all vessels of more than 400 gross tons would have to get new international evidence on the efficiency of the vessel.
More than 1.6 million tons of ammunition buried at the bottom of the Baltic and North Seas Researchers' calculations, at the bottom of the North and Baltic seas about 1.6 million tons of ammunition left over from the First and Second World Wars are buried. Most of highly explosive burial - almost 1.3 million tonnes - is in the North Sea. German scientists pretreated with a lot of documents of the war years, here marked 21 zones, which can be defined as "obviously contaminated". The share of the Baltic Sea is only 300 tons of explosives. But there are much more dangerous zones were defined in the sea - 50 confirmed and 21 unconfirmed burial. The researchers say that these data may be incomplete, because many of the documents they used contain serious gaps. Undefused ammunition poses a serious threat to both people and marine life, because it's not just about simple mines and shells, and the chemical weapons. Body of ammunition, sooner or later will collapse due to corrosion, and in this case of environmental disaster is inevitable.
Aircrafts not equipped with warning systems of the ground approach and mid-air collision, will not be allowed to fly From the 1 of January 2012 not equipped with warning systems of the ground approach and mid-air collision, will not be allowed to fly, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said. "The decree was released in 2009, 2.5 years have passed. Companies have had the opportunity to equip aircrafts with those systems or buy new ones. Cancellations and postponement will not be", Okulov said. As it was noted by the Head of state aviation oversight for the Far East Federal District, Viktor Ivanishko at the meeting today new safety requirements in the district are met by all 38 mainline aircrafts, 12 of 69 regional and five of 60 local aircrafts, required equipment is installed on two of 163 helicopters. "Domestic aircrafts An-24, An-26, Yak-40, An-2, An-28, helicopters, which are 80% of aircraft’s park that are in-service of airlines of the District, don’t meet requirements", Ivanishko said. According to him, until January 1 it is planned to complete 31 aircraft and 43 aircraft are need to be ready to meet the requirements. Contracts for the installation of equipment for 105 helicopters were made.
A bill on licensing work in the Antarctic is introduced in the State Duma Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MEP) of Russia introduced in the State Duma a bill on licensing of Russian citizens activity in the Antarctic. Taking into account the characteristics of this region, the draft law "On regulation of the activity of Russian citizens and legal persons in Antarctica", in particular, it is proposed to establish that citizens and legal entities operating in the Antarctic must have a license for activities subjected to licensing. Document also provides the obligation of non-state operators on removed of usable property from the area of the Antarctic Treaty, regardless of its condition, as well as waste generated as a result of their activities in Antarctica, within three years after the end of the permission to operate. Additionally, standards for financial support of activities in Antarctica are provided. It is proposed to allow non-state operators to conduct activities in this region only in the presence of insurance risk of civil liability for damage to third parties or bank guarantee proper performance of obligations. The obligation to provide financial support does not extend to public statements, as guarantor of the proper performance of their obligations in the event of harm to others is the Russian Federation. The developers of the bill believe that the implementation of these standards will protect the financial interests of the Russian Federation and all the activity participants in the Antarctic.
Public Council under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is approved Public Council under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is approved. The Council is a standing advisory body that provides interaction between society and the Ministry. The main functions of the Council are preparation of recommendations for improving federal legislation in the field of ecology and efficiency in the field of environmental protection. In addition, the Council prepares proposals for developed targeted programs, national and regional projects, as well as joint actions of public associations, academic institutions and the media in regard to environmental protection. The annual work plan of the Council is approved by the Council Chairman and agreed with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. Council meetings will be held at least twice a year. Decisions are made by majority votes and are advisory in nature. The Council consists of experts in the field of environmental management, environmental protection, and representatives of environmental organizations. In particular, representatives of the Public Chamber of Russia, Greenpeace Russia, WWF Russia, the Public Fund "Citizen", Moscow State University n.a. Michael Lomonosov, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), RSU of Oil and Gas n.a. Ivan Gubkin and others will take part in the Council work.
Ministry of Natural Resources has prepared a draft federal law on Russia's accession to environmental conventions Ministry of Natural Resources has prepared a draft federal law on Russia's accession to the Aarhus Convention, the Espoo Convention and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Espoo Convention. Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia has prepared drafts of the relevant federal laws, the proposal of the Ministry for the ratification of the Aarhus Convention are agreed in the federal bodies of executive power. Experts of Ministry of Natural Resources and environmental NGOs, members of the working group on ratification held meeting on the Russia's accession to these conventions. At the conclusion of the meeting, the director of environmental programs of WWF-Russia Victoria Elias said she was pleased with the results of the meeting. "We are absolutely satisfied that the process is moving very positively",Elias said. Let us recall that Dmitry Medvedev in June of 2011 instructed to consider the ratification of two international environmental conventions, which Russia signed in the nineties, but still has not ratified - the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact on the environment and the Aarhus Convention, which regulates access to environmental information and its status, participation in decision-making on environmental issues.
Thawing of ice makes navigation on the Northern Sea Route difficult Last year, atmosphere got record amount of greenhouse gases, in the annual report of World Meteorological Organization at the UN said. Thus humanity has made a regular contribution to global warming, and hence to thawing of ice in the Arctic. According to experts, the Arctic ice cap of the Earth reduced more and more, and to the end of the century the Arctic will be different. Thawing ice which can revive the Arctic shipping may serve him badly. Point is that the icebergs that appear due to the destruction of glaciers, stand in the way of vessels. "Some ice massifs fall into the water and block the Northern Sea Route", says Head of ocean-atmosphere interaction department of "Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute," Henry Alexeev. This has already happened in 2007. Now there are icebergs in the Barents Sea. "More hummocks are appearing", scientist continues. Hummocks loosened and crushed ice, somehow breaking it. Another consequence of climate change - increased wind, which is bad for the movement of ships. "Taking into account global warming it’s necessary to correct economic activity in the Arctic", the assistant professor of ecological-economic systems management, the environmental department PFUR Marina Nekrasova sums up.
Medvedev has approved the establishment of the Russian Unified state environmental monitoring Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved amendments for the establishment of a unified system of state environmental monitoring. The structure of a unified system of state environmental monitoring will include state monitoring of condition and pollution of environment, air monitoring, monitoring of radiation situation and other subsystems in Russia. In addition, the establishment of the State Fund of data for state environmental monitoring, which is defined as a federal information system that provides collection, processing and analyzing data about the environment is provided. Let us recall that the amendments were adopted by the State Duma on the 2 of November and approved by the Federation Council on the 9 of November 2011.
Arctic may lose its ice to 2015 Arctic ice cover is thawing so rapidly that it will completely disappear in summertime by 2015. This conclusion was made by professor of Cambridge University Peter Uedams in accordance with forecast, based on new models. In previous models, emphasis was mainly made on the area of the ice sheet, whereas this year, scientists have paid special attention to the power of ice. Studies have shown that multi-year ice is less and less, and its thickness at the same time dramatically reduced. For its part, the Climate Change Intergovernmental Experts Group believes that the complete disappearance of Arctic ice sheet during the summer season will begin in 2030, and according to the International Energy Agency, climate change becomes irreversible by 2017. In winter 2010-2011 before the season of thawing the maximum size of the Arctic ice cap was at its lowest level for the time of satellite observations.
World Day of waste recycling is celebrated on the 15 of November On the 15 of November in many countries around the world the world day of recyclable waste is celebrated annually. It was introduced in 1997 in the United States. In October, the State Duma passed the draft law "On waste production and consumption", which aims to create economic incentives to engage waste into commercialization as secondary material resources. According to the Head of the Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology Eugene Tugolukov there are more than 11 thousand only official landfill sites where are already buried more than 82 billion tons of waste in Russia. Each year, this figure increases by 4 billion tonnes, no more than 15% of which is recicled. Experts believe first of all it is necessary to transfer big cities into a separate collection of waste, because it is a question of life quality. In a whole one region produces as much waste as a big city, so the importance of this topic for big cities is more obvious.
Federation Council approved a law establishing a unified system of ecological monitoring in the Russian Federation On Wednesday Federation Council approved the government's law on the establishment of a unified state automated system for environmental monitoring. By law, a unified system of ecological monitoring includes the following subsystems: environmental monitoring, air quality, radiation, land, wildlife, forests, subsurface conditions (including groundwater), water bodies. Monitoring of radiation situation will be carried out within the framework of a unified state automated system, which in turn is part of environmental monitoring system. At the same time monitoring of radiation environment will be assigned to the authorized government federal executive authorities and Rosatom. The integration of state and pollution of environment monitoring with the international monitoring system.
Research expedition was sent to Antarctica The flagship of the national polar fleet - scientific expedition vessel "Akademik Fedorov" tonight left for a 200-day voyage to Antarctica", the Head of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) - the Deputy Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Rosgidromet Valery Lukin said. During the short-term parking for the replenishment of marine reserves, taking fuel and fresh food for Antarctic stations "Akademik Fedorov" will get ready for the next expedition to Antarctic waters. On the 20th of December the ship will go to the field base “Molodezhnaya” for organization of its work and than will go to Prydz Bay in order to ensure continuation of work at the station “Progress” and organization of field geological and geophysical studies based on “Druzhnaya-4” and geological field camps. Among key research Lukin stressed "projects of the third and final phase of the subprogram "Study and research in Antarctica" of the federal program "World Ocean", of departmental target programs of Roshydromet Federal Agency for Subsoil Use, Federal Agency for Fisheries, Russian Space Agency, the Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Return of "Akademik Fedorov" from Antarctica is expected in late May 2012, the Institute of Hydromet says.
Arctic needs a strategy for climate adaptation Climate changes in the Arctic, in particular, shrinking of the ice, indicate the urgent need to develop a strategic plan for adapting to climate changes in the region, the Head of Hydromet Alexander Frolov said. Frolov said that the great excitement is caused by forecasts of complete disappearance of Arctic sea ice during the summer season. According to him, although the exact date can not be predicted, however, it is already known that the area is reduced at 12% per decade. This process can dramatically change both the ecological and economic situation in the region, because it opens opportunities for both navigation and for the extraction of minerals. "But to get these economic benefits, it is necessary to invest in infrastructure, strategic planning of adaptation measures in the Arctic is urgent", Frolov said. He noted that the disappearance of Arctic sea ice leads to negative consequences: in particular, severe icing of vessels and appearance of icebergs.
The state program for energy efficiency will be introduced in the Russian government The state program to support energy efficiency and renewable energy sources (RES) will be submitted to the government by in December 2011, Director of energy efficiency, modernization and development of energy sector the Ministry of Energy Pavel Svistunov said. "In December the Ministry of Energy should introduce state programme of energy efficiency and energy development, which will contain sub-programmes for energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources to the government", Svistunov said. According to him, the program will link activities on state and amount of funds needed for this support, as well as target indicators, which should be aspired to. Also the Ministry of Energy will be the coordinator of the development of bioenergy in Russia, which will also be included in the state program.
The second phase of the program to clean up the Franz Josef Land is completed The second phase of environmental protection measures to clean-up the archipelago Franz Josef Land from the accumulated damage is completed . In the second phase, information about contaminated areas was received. It will be systematized and generalized. The volume and mass of the identified waste that are sources of chemical contamination of soils and littering the land will be determined. During the expedition experimental work on the elimination of representative sources of contamination was carried out. The data obtained will be used to realize the third stage: program of elimination of sources of negative influence in the contaminated areas of islands and a list of priority actions was created. The expedition started in mid-July and lasted for over 2 months. Contaminated areas of the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, including the islands of Graham-Bell, Hoffman, Hooker and Alexandra Land and Wrangel Island were investigated. During the voyage to the archipelago of Franz Josef Land experts and equipment for the burning and pressing empty barrels were delivered. As a result of their work 1850 pressed and whole barrels were removed from the archipelago. Samples taken from contaminated sites in Franz Josef Land, will be transferred to specialists of the International Center for Scientific Environmental Technology to develop concrete proposals for environmental remediation of the Arctic lands. Cleaning up includes three main stages: the development of methodological part, an expedition of geological survey and the establishment of programs to eradicate sources of negative influence in the contaminated areas of islands of Franz Josef Land in 2012-2020 and a list of priority activities of program for 2012-2013.
The state of the Black Sea ecosystem is still difficult Scientific studies of the Black Sea are limited to coastal waters. The Russian scientists have no navy, so it is impossible to take samples of water far from shore. But on the basis of these data, scientists could study sea currents, the state of flora and fauna. In addition, behavior of hydrogen sulfide layer remains unknown – peculiarity of the Black Sea, which unlike other seas is many times closer to the surface at a depth of 150-200 meters. "The state of environment of the Black Sea remains heavy. The biggest harm is caused by rivers, which are bringing to the sea their raw sewage", the member of RAS Sergey Dobroliubov said. The same opinion is shared by the representative of the World Wildlife Fund in Russia in Krasnodar Krai Roman Mnatsakanov. According to him, man-caused load will only increase due to expansion, for example, of a port in Novorossiisk and after the pipeline "South Stream", which will supply Russian gas to Europe, will be put into operation. Experts agree to preserve the Black Sea it is necessary to develop state program that would link the research, business interests and local communities. Let us recall that the International Black Sea Day is celebrated on October 31.
Russian-Japanese scientific research starts in the Sea of Japan Russian and Japanese scientists begin to study the influence of climate change and human activities on the ecology of the Sea of Japan. "Research of the Sea of Japan will start simultaneously with the Russian side - in Primorye - and from Japan. Twenty-six scientists of FEBRAS will go to sea on a scientific vessel "Akademik Lavrentyev" for 13 days. The Japanese will also do research on their specially equipped vessel", the spokesman of the agency said. According to him, the experts will take water samples to assess how the ecology of the Sea of Japan is changing due to the change of climate, as well as due to human activities. "Scientists will study the chemical, biological composition of water. In addition, it will be checked for radioactive contamination. Since it is complex expedition, there also will be geologists, who will do a research of underwater elevations in the sea on the board of "Akademik Lavrentyev", the spokesman said.
On the conservation of Lake Baikal nature it will be spent 70 million rubles Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation has prepared a draft decree on the rules of the funding of environmental activities at the lake, which provides appropriation of 70 million rubles from federal budget in 2011. Draft decree regulates the provision of federal funds for co-financing of costs of the Irkutsk region. The money will be spent on activities for sanitation of Lake Baikal and the surrounding areas, elimination of oil pollution of the river Angara. As it is stated in the explanatory notes to the project, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment sent to the Ministry of Finance a proposal to reallocate budget appropriations in the amount of 70 million rubles to the budget of the Irkutsk region to carry out activities to protect the unique ecological system of Lake Baikal. According to plans of Natural Resources, funding will be directed to the restoration of existing unauthorized dumps, organized collection, removal, disposal and recycling of household waste as well as cleaning the Angara River from the effects of long-term leakage of oil from the tanks of fuel oil economy of bakery ¹ 1 in Irkutsk. At the same time co-financing from the Irkutsk region of at least 5% of the total transfer is provided. The adoption of this resolution of the Russian government will not incur additional expenditures of the federal budget.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation specifies the criteria for dangerous wastes for the environment According to the ministry MNR intends to specify the criteria of dangerous wastes in terms of their impact on the environment. "The criteria according to which the class of hazard is rated in terms of their impact on the environment are updated. New standards take into account the level of disturbances in the ecological system, the time of its restoration. Class of hazard (I - V) for the environment is determined by the calculation of the sum of the dangerous substances", that is said in a clarification to the draft order, which is posted at the MNR web-site until 11 October for comments. The draft of the order "About the criteria for inclusion of waste into class of hazard according to the degree of its impact on environment", in particular, suggests to rate danger of waste by the formulas proposed in the order, or experimentally in specialized laboratories. Currently, the existing waste classification applies to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, and according to it wastes are divided into classes, from I (extremely hazardous) to V - (practically non-hazardous).
The Center of the elimination of oil spillage at sea will appear on Sakhalin The Government of the Sakhalin Region believes that the oil companies operating on the island, should work together to create on the territory of the region a specialized center for the elimination of oil spillage at sea. It will be the center of the second level - up to 5000 tons. The Government of the Sakhalin Region is interested in creating of such a center, and recommends companies to activate work in this direction. Five companies are occupied with hydrocarbon production in the region. On the shelf of Sakhalin Island oil and gas production is carried out by operators of the projects "Sakhalin-1" and "Sakhalin-2" of Exxon Neftegas Limited and Sakhalin Energy companies. On the land - "RN-Sakhalinmorneftegaz", JSC "Petrosah" and RSUE "Sakhalin Oil Company".
Three new substations for heliopower station will be built in the Odessa region In the Odessa region of energy by the end of the year to build three new substations to gelioelektrostantsy, and two substations will be commissioned in November 2011, according to Bridge Odessa. Jaroslav Protsak, Commercial Director of JSC "Odesoblenergo", reported that in November in Starokazachyi and Artsiz two substations for power distribution from heliopower stations in the Odessa region will become operational. Three more will be ready in Rennes, and Kilie Bolgrad by the end of the year. The capacity of each substation is 40 MW. Their construction took 80 million UAH. New substations will distribute energy from heliopower stations, which will be built in the Odessa region. The cost of the solar plant is about 130 million euros, and the area it occupies is about 80 hectares.
In Chelyabinsk the operation of an over-load of tanks with bromine is completed Specialists of Regional Administration of the Russian Emergencies Ministry have completed work on sorting and reloading of the chemical, the Minister of radiation and environmental safety of the Chelyabinsk region Alexander Galichin said. Damaged containers are moved to the eight special semi-platform with sand, which will prevent the entry of bromine in soil will not allow fumes to form. The whole container is overloaded in the special wagon. In the next few hours coming of the firm-supplier representative of bromine is expected. Then the cars will be transported from the territory of the Chelyabinsk region. Let us recall the night of September 1, in Chelyabinsk in the formation in a railway station wagon, carrying cans of bromine, collided with another wagon. The blow shattered tanks - bromine spilled. 200 people turned to the ambulance. 57 of them were hospitalized with a diagnosis of "poisoning by bromine". Upon efflux of bromine criminal case is opened under article "Violation of the rules for handling hazardous materials and waste caused pollution, poisoning or contamination of the environment, causing harm to human health or the mass destruction of animals".
Astrakhan authorities propose to impose restrictions on the discharge of water from hydroelectric dams for environment condition Astrakhan Region Governor Alexander Zhilkin proposed to introduce severe restrictions on the actions of power engineering specialists in the organization of seasonal water escape from hydroelectric dams in order to preserve and restore the ecology of the Lower Volga and Northern Caspian Sea, suffering from chronic water shortage. With this request the governor appealed to President Dmitry Medvedev at a special meeting, held in Astrakhan, and dedicated to the development of water sector in the region. "The moment when a compromise on the passage of water out of place came. It’s necessary to make a decision and “to offend” someone. I mean power engineering specialists. Because they are guided by economic considerations, the water escape in such a way to make money. But if we lose the delta, nature, then we will not need power", Zhilkin said. According to him, the main problem is the uncoordinated planning of water escape that do not give the required amount of water saturation and lead to poor spawning of most fish species, destruction of eggs and fry. "I know they (power engineering specialists) say tank spillway will not suffice for them. But then you need to have a different plan for water escape. An extra thousand cubic meters can be left in the winter, but in the spring water level will be higher and the fish will go into the delta", the Governor said. He noted that environmental issues in this case are more important than economic benefits. Representatives from hydropower, participating in the meeting, accepted the proposal negatively. "Volga-Kama cascade is a cascade of seasonal regulation, it is impossible to accumulate water reserves for a year. It is only possible during certain seasons. In spring and summer we have only the resources that come here during the floods. We do not have standby storage vessel. We can not accumulate additional amounts of water ", the representative of the Federal Water Resources Agency Marina Seliverstov said in reply. According to her, to implement the proposal of the governor, you need to build at least another two reservoirs in the Upper Volga. In addition, power engineering specialists believe that water escape regime change in favor of environmental leads to the need to produce electricity from other sources, and this, in turn, is fraught with a sharp increase in tariffs.
Five Caspian states have decided to toughen requirements for the protection of the Caspian Sea Five Caspian states approved two additional protocols to the Framework Convention for the protection of the Caspian Sea environment. New legal acts include commitments to strengthen the regional response to oil spills and ensure the monitoring of potential sources of pollution. Protocol concerning regional preparedness, response and cooperation in case of incidents, oil pollution and the Protocol on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context was adopted at the third meeting of parties of the Framework Convention for the protection of the Caspian Sea environment, known as the Tehran Convention, adopted in 2003. She was held in Kazakhstan with the participation of senior representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Turkmenistan. Two new protocols are in addition to the Tehran Convention. They must be ratified by Caspian States. Industrial pollution, toxic and radioactive waste, uncontrolled fishing of sturgeon and the deaths of many marine species have a negative impact on the state of the Caspian Sea. The fragile ecosystem of the Caspian Sea is extremely vulnerable as a result of the current regional boom in oil and gas production.
Tulpanov: the complex of protective structures - transit, environment, protecting people and historical heritage The leader of the Party Project "UNITED RUSSIA" "Saint-Petersburg - the Sea Capital of Russia", Chairman of the City Legislative Assembly Vadim Tulpanov commented upon the opening of the complex of flooding protective structures of the city (CPS). "During the construction of the CPS, which stretched for more than 30 years, a whole generation of citizens who can not remember serious flooding, Vadim Tulpanov said, even the unfinished dam substantially restrained beats of the elements. But it was not always the case. I think that long-lived inhabitants of St. Petersburg remember devastating flood of 1924, when as the result of the storm nearly the entire historic city center was flooded, more than five thousand buildings were damaged, and 19 bridges were destroyed. About 15 thousand citizens have left their homes then. Serious damage to infrastructure of the city was caused by major flooding in 1955 and 1975. Therefore, completion of construction of the complex of protective structures is of great importance not only to improve the environmental situation in the city due to the direction of transit transport to finally shutting Belt road. First and foremost this is ensuring safety of the inhabitants of the capital and its historical heritage. As the leader of the Party Project, which advocates a platform for strategic decision-making in the field of transport and transit policy, I believe that the unique experience of St. Petersburg for the construction of the complex of protective structures will be discussed at the conferences and our project will arouse not only Russian but also international interest". Let us recall that the idea of creating of a flood protection system of St. Petersburg, in fact, as old as the northern capital. In 1706, after a hurricane disaster Peter I ordered to raise the coastal areas. After the catastrophic floods in 1824, the director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Railway Transport Pierre Dominique Bazin was first who proposed building of a dam in the Finnish Gulf, almost the same route by which it is laid right now. However, the proposal was considered unrealistic. The construction of the complex was started only in 1979. A grand opening of the complex took place on August 12 this year, in the presence of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who described the situation as "historic event".
All-Russian meeting of the Federal Agency of Fishery took place On Monday, Russian meeting of the Federal Agency of Fishery took place in Kamchatka. As the Governor of the region Vladimir Ilyukhin said, the fishing industry generates more than half of industrial output, and employs more than 17 thousand inhabitants of the region. In addition, fishing is often the foundation of life in many coastal villages of the peninsula, and coastal businesses - city-forming for the coast. This is the only source of livelihood for residents of remote villages. According to Ilyukhin, state support measures give a good economic effect: rates of payment for the use of FBG are reduced, small businesses were able to go to the payment of the unified agricultural tax, the companies that are modernizing and building a new fleet and manufacturing bases have got significant preferences. However, there are only120 fishing inspectors in the peninsula. Each inspector has several thousand square kilometers of territory. Taking into account the number and length of the rivers, it is impossible to organize the protection of water biological resources effectively, the Governor said. Among other problems - inability to leave the area of 12 miles for Far East fleet. The issue of "registration" of enterprises, which fish is not resolved - they must be registered in the territory of which quota are mastered. The Governor worries about the traditional fisheries of indigenous peoples. - Under the guise of indigenous peoples unscrupulous businesses entered in the struggle for a free resource to fish in industrial-scale anytime and anywhere, Ilyukhin says. - Often it is not much different from poaching, and in addition to the economic damage this problem causes social tension. Ilyukhin considers that it is time to work out measures which, on the one hand, will provide communities and indigenous peoples with fish, on the other hand, put a barrier in the path of the pseudo-indigenous peoples (Source - Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Far East).
Economy and ecology: two sides of the same coin The most pressing issues of environmental safety of the seas and inland waters of our country were reflected in the resolution of the II International Conference "Environment", that is held annually as part of the "UNITED RUSSIA" Party Project "Saint-Petersburg - the Sea Capital of Russia". II International Conference "Environment" was held in St. Petersburg this spring. It was attended by representatives from federal and regional authorities of Russia, delegates from UK, USA, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine and other countries, as well as the heads of major business entities, independent experts and academics. Work on the resolution took a long time because the participants identified many problems and a lot of suggestions were sent to the organizers of the conference. According to expert estimates the economic damage from unresolved issues in the field of environmental protection and ecological safety in Russia reaches 10% of the gross domestic product. Suffice it to say that every year 17 cubic kilometers of untreated sewage are dumped in rivers and reservoirs of Russia. As an example experts note the extremely poor condition of many areas of the Black, Azov, Baltic and Caspian Sea as a result of intensive economic activity. Many areas of the Arctic coastal areas are contaminated by scrap and waste metals. Not all is well on river waterways. Large-navigation causes significant harm to biological resources of major rivers. Thus the basic legislative acts in the sphere of environmental protection, adopted in 1990, are outdated and do not correspond to current realities. Proposals of improving of legislation on environmental protection are the basis of the resolution. For example, a package of new environmental laws developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, aims to solve the problem of balancing of the "double environmental costs". We can not allow the introduction of 100-fold increasing coefficients when paying for a negative impact on the environment to lead to a drastic reduction of investment in environmental protection. Conference participants appealed to the leadership of the "UNITED RUSSIA" Party with a proposal to support a number of initiatives in the field of environmental security. In particular, it’s the development of federal target programs to improve the environmental situation in the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea, the creation of systems of sewage treatment and other measures aimed at improving of the environmental conditions in the Black Sea on the eve of the Sochi Olympic Games. It’s proposed to give a particular attention to the system clearing of coastal areas in the Arctic from scrap metal and the creation of special bases near oil fields on the continental shelf. It is also proposed to support the bill "On the Water Supply and Sewerage" which is the first systems legislation aimed at the development of environmental services for water treatment. Conference participants recommend reconstructing a single state environmental protection fund and regional environmental funds. And yet economic instruments for environmental protection are the most effective in the market conditions when companies feel the benefits of environmental investments. Currently, economic development and environmental security are two sides of one coin. And the ignoring of one of these parties could lead to catastrophic consequences. This was proved by numerous man-made disasters of recent times. Conference participants suggested a number of measures aimed at investment stimulating in environmental protection activities. We are talking about the introduction of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, as well as the voluntary implementation of environmental management systems corresponding to international standards ISO 14001 and other measures in the enterprises. Resolution of the Conference is carefully studied by the leadership of "UNITED RUSSIA" Party. A package of related appeals to the executive and legislative authorities to offer concrete identified problems solutions to is preparing.
Equipment installation continues on the Nordic treatment plants of Vladivostok. At the facility the laying of the siphon on the bottom of the Amur Bay began Equipment installation continues at wastewater treatment plants of the Northern planning area of Vladivostok. Now experts are assembling the aeration system in the biological treatment unit, and on Monday they will begin to install bins for sand. In parallel, operation of lying of the siphon on the bottom of Amur Bay is under way. Two pipes which length is 1500 meters are connecting the camera in the Vesennyaya area and the camera on the De-Friese. Pipe diameter is 600 mm. They are made of a special type of high-strength cast iron. The service life of such tubes is more than 50 years. This ensures reliable of installation and its environmental friendliness. Let us recall that the Northern wastewater treatment plant will recycle domestic waste of Vladivostok suburb and the village of Trudovoe. In the first stage their total capacity will be 50,000 cubic meters per day, and eventually it will be increased to 100 thousand cubic meters. Construction of treatment plants of the Central planning area of Vladivostok has been completed. This will be the most up-to-date treatment plants in the country.
The government plans to allocate to regions 3 billion rubles for "Pure Water" This year the Russian government plans to invest 3 billion rubles in 24 regions of Russia to realize the federal target program "Clean Water" for 2011-2017 years. It follows from the draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers. According to the project, the most significant sum will be allocated to the Voronezh region - 573.6 million rubles, the Chuvash Republic - 467.5, Tambov region - 231.7, Astrakhan - 216, Chelyabinsk region - 214 and Belgorod region - 204 million rubles. The Vologda and the Kaluga regions, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District and Republic of North Ossetia-Alania will get from 100 to 153 million rubles. Other regions will receive grants of less than 100 million rubles. State funding of the federal program "Clean water", according to government decree of 22 December 2010, is 18 billion rubles and total cost is 331.8 billion rubles. According to government plans, federal program would be funded from budgetary sources only for the first three years of implementation. According to the calculations of the authorities, by 2017 the program will increase the provision of the population with centralized water supply and sanitation to 85% and 84% respectively with 77% and 73% in 2010. For seven years the proportion of water samples from water mains that do not meet hygienic standards should from 16.4% and 5% down to 14.4% and 4% respectively. As authorities expect by 2017 28% water and 27% sewage street networks of the country will need to be replaced against the current 43% to 36%. Currently in Russia only 93% of the wastewater is passed through treatment facilities. But according to the program seven years later, this figure should reach 100%.
The bill toughening the requirements for the protection of the seas is introduced in the State Duma A government bill, according to which companies operating on the shelf, are obliged to prevent and eliminate oil spills, is introduced in the State Duma. It was reported in the machinery of the lower chamber. A bill prepared by Ministry of Environment amends the federal law on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation and the internal waters, territorial sea and contiguous zone of the Russian Federation. In particular, according to the text of the document, the companies will be required to have a plan for prevention and liquidation of oil spills. In addition, organizations working on the shelf will have to confirm that they can provide financial measures for the prevention and liquidation of spill, including the involvement of additional capabilities, as well as fully compensate harm, including harm caused to aquatic biological resources and third parties. The new rules will be applied to organizations operating and using artificial islands, structures and installations, underwater pipelines, drilling involved, as well as transportation and storage of oil products on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation, in internal sea waters and territorial sea. According to documents accompanying the bill the amendments are developed "in the light of accumulated experience", as well as analysis of planning and implementing of measures for prevention and liquidation of oil spills.
Hydromet and Northern (Arctic) Federal University were joined by forces in the field of environmental protection The signing of the Agreement between the Federal Service of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and the Government of the Arkhangelsk region on cooperation in hydro-meteorology and related fields took place in Arkhangelsk. Northern (Arctic) Federal University that leads the close work with the Northern AHEM actively participated in joint research activities. In September of last year aboard the "Mikhail Somov" the agreement between Northern (Arctic) Federal University and Northern Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring on collaboration and training for research in the Arctic was signed. The most acute problem in recent years is the pollution in the Arctic. For nearly seventy years, the Ministry of Defence bases and research stations accumulated wastes in their territories. It's time to clean up. It’s planned to attract students of Northern (Arctic) Federal University to clean-up activities. Last year, the future environmentalists were on the Franz Josef Land and were extremely amazed at what a sad state of the archipelago. As will be based work in the future - the question today. The Head of the Northern Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Leonid Vasilev said, “First we must understand how this work will be organized. Naturally, the volunteers will be involved. Moreover, it can’t be done with some small detachment. Large teams of volunteers would be required. There is the following sequence: first it’s necessary to examine, make the project and according to the project the work will be developing. Project: how many people, what technique, what equipment “. Northern (Arctic) Federal University and the Northern Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring identified a number of joint cooperation activities. And during the three summer months journalists of Northern (Arctic) Federal University Media Center "Arctic bridge", scientists and students of Northern (Arctic) Federal University will participate in the expeditions on the vessels "Ivan Petrov" and "Professor Molchanov" in the White Sea, in Novaya Zemlya and Wrangel Island. There is a major project on recycling, disposal and waste management ahead and it’s possible to deal with it only combining efforts of science, education and the public. Making steps forward we solve our common problems.
The Deputy Head of the Ministry of Transportation said about the location for a deepwater port in Kaliningrad, "The main criterion is ecology" Need to build a deepwater port in Kaliningrad region has no doubt in the federal government. This was announced by Deputy Transport Minister Viktor Olersky during a working visit to Kaliningrad region. The Deputy Minister has visited some sites of which will be chosen one for the construction of a deepwater port in the Kaliningrad region. The arrival of the Deputy Minister premises the visit of the Head of Ministry of Transport Igor Levitin, who taking into account the views of the regional government will make a decision about placing of the port. Olersky said ,"Now we have to weigh the" pros" and "cons " in choosing a location for the port. We consider a set of different criteria, the main of which is the environmental conditions. Among the similar projects in Murmansk, on the Taman peninsula, the Far East, the Kaliningrad region is estimated as one of the best places in the country to create a powerful port hub. Certainly, there is the need to accelerate the development of the project, so we will begin a feasibility of investment this year. The construction of the port involves a huge investment of federal funds in infrastructural facilities, which will make the project more attractive to potential investors.” Let’s recall that the construction of the port would include creating of a deep channel area, road and rail approaches. As the regional development infrastructure Minister Alexander Rolbinov reported, "the idea of the port hub building in Kaliningrad region is that ocean containers pass directly into the Baltic sea and unloaded at our port and from there, mostly by ship-feeders, are delivered in Baltic ports.” The Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia also said that the creation of a powerful competitive transport hub in the Baltic sea will be a major step to increasing of the total volume of cargo handled by the Russian ports. “Last year turnover amounted to 525 million tons. For 20 years we have to increase it by half. To solve this problem the country needs new deep and ice-free ports. The latter criterion is one of the significant advantages in your region,” Victor Olersky said.
Roshydromet will introduce new technologies for monitoring water bodies On Wednesday the government press service of the region said that the latest methods for assessing environmental and climate monitoring would be implemented in the Arkhangelsk region. First and foremost focus will be on hydrometeorology. A relevant agreement was signed by the Governor of Pomorie Ilya Mikhalchuk and the Head of Roshydromet. According to the Head of Roshydromet Alexander Frolov, the agency intends to increase a number and quality of data, use the most advanced control technology in the region and recent achievements in environmental monitoring. “Hydrological monitoring will determine the terms and levels of flooding more accurately. And water quality monitoring will enable us to objectively evaluate the impact of current pollution of the Northern Dvina on the health of northerners," - Frolov said. The governor of Pomorie has also proposed to create pilot area in Arkhangelsk to introduce innovative technologies of climatic and environmental monitoring. “We are interested to pull together here all of science, which today concerns with the Arctic. Due to the fact that it is created a basic university for training to develop the Arctic - Safa in Arkhangelsk, and there is a strong scientific base and federal support, we can say that Archangelsk became the center of scientific exploration of the Arctic Ocean again "- the Mikhalchuk word press office quoted.
Baltic Sea called the President of Finland in St. Petersburg Today Finnish President Tarja Halonen arrived in St. Petersburg for a business visit. During the visit she will meet with the Governor of St.Petersburg Valentina Matvienko and take part in the ceremony of putting into operation of the permanent installation for the removal of phosphorus in the Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant in the village of Olgino. The Finnish side notes that “this is the last stage of a major five-year project, as a result of which realization St. Petersburg waste water emissions in the Baltic Sea have decreased considerably”. This project entitled "Clean Baltic" has become the part of the implementation of the new recommendations of Environmental Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) to protect the sea environment and to reduce phosphorus in sea water in the city on the Neva that will prevent water bogging of the reservoir. After implementation of this Project the content of phosphorus in St. Petersburg wastewater will be less than 0.5 mg / liter. During the realization of this project “Vodokanal of St. Petersburg” cooperated with Finland’s Environmental Administration. The total amount of its grants amounted to 6.1 million euros.
Medvedev will discuss environmental issues at the Commission on Modernization On Monday, June, 27 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will hold the 25th meeting of the Commission on the Modernization and Technological Development dedicated to environmental aspects in the priority areas of modernization. Presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, who supervises economic policy in the Kremlin, said that during the month the President held several events on environmental issues, including the State Council Presidium meeting. “As a result of it a list of instructions has already released, some of them requires the adoption of legislative acts”, Dvorkovich. Particularly said. He marked out the law, which concerns Russia's international initiative. “It’s the work on the shelf. All that concerns mine safety.” “We are improving the legislation in this area, and it’s expected that to the end of this year the law will be adopted and come into force”, Presidential aide promised. “The technological aspects of improving the environmental situation will be discussed during the session, those promising technologies that can be used to reduce emissions of harmful substances and to increase energy efficiency,” he said. As an example, Arkady Dvorkovich mentioned solar panels, membrane technologies for water treatment and technologies for processing of associated gas. “The Commission will analyze what should be done to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and improve the environmental situation in general", Dvorkovich said. It is planned that during the meeting of the Commission the General Director of “Rosatom” Sergey Kiriyenko will be speaking about the contribution of the nuclear industry in the environment. According to his words, “nuclear power itself is a significant contribution to the environment”. The Head of Russian Ministry of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev will report on the monitoring of the environment in the country. The Minister noted that the computer power of Russian Hydrometeorology, the department that has all the information about environmental conditions, is supposed to be changed to more progressive domestic ones by 2012. In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources plans to develop a convenient way of bringing information about the environment to the public. Another point of Yury Trutnev’s report is “green” building standards of housing, roads and social facilities. The Russian Energy Minister (ÿ èñïðàâèëà) Sergei Shmatko and the Chairman, President of “Sberbank” and the operator of the Kyoto mechanism German Gref will also speak at a meeting of the Commission on the Modernization and Technological Development.
Presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich expects that the law on the mining companies work on the shelf may be adopted soon and will start working until the end of the year. “We expect that it will be adopted and come into force by the year's end” - he said at a news conference. The head of the Ministry of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev noted that the main orientation of the law is the state of environment during the resources extraction. So according to the bill “companies will have to make a careful study of all the risks associated with development”, to estimate them, to sign their business plans and to ensure their financial security. As regard the participation of foreign companies in the developing of the shelf, Trutnev said “that is another matter” and the issue is not touched upon in this project. “It is considered by the Government and there is not the final decision yet,” - added the Head of the Ministry of Environment.
"Akademik Fedorov" started an expedition to study the shelf Scientific expedition vessel "Akademik Fedorov" came from the Finnish port of Turku to a new expedition for the study of Russian Arctic shelf, according to Alexander Kostenich, Deputy Head of Research Center of the State Oceanographic Research navigation and hydrographic Institute. "The ship started the expedition according to the plan, at about 13.00, the expedition will last until the end of September" - a spokesman said. "Akademik Fedorov" in late September, should go back to Turku, where the set of the expedition equipment for seismic sounding will be removed from it, then the vessel will travel to St. Petersburg, from where it will go to Antarctica in October, added Kostenich. Expedition of studying the shelf is a continuation of the expedition of a similar kind in the summer of 2010, when the "Akademik Fedorov", accompanied by nuclear-powered icebreaker "Yamal" worked on a hydrographic survey of the bottom relief of the Arctic Ocean from July to October. Specifically for this research, modern multibeam sonar was installed on "Fedorov". In 2010 the main activity of scientists on the board of "Fedorov" was an accurate measurement of depths, but this year the main type of research will be seismic examination, which is designed to determine the thickness of sediment. Their thickness is one of the criteria for determining the limits of the continental shelf.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of Norway was signed in the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia The document was signed by the Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev and Minister of Petroleum and Energy of Norway Ola Borte M on June 21, 2011 within the framework of the Russian-Norwegian dialogue on the issue of oil and gas resources and the environment use. Memorandum of Understanding confirms and continues the dialogue between the countries in the sphere of oil and gas resources and the environment management, as well as on the point of the assistance to investment projects with the participation of companies of states. The meeting focused on the practical implementation of the Agreement on Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean, which was signed on September 15, 2010 and will come into force on July 7, 2011. The Parties noted that the Memorandum of Understanding is the first document that indicates the readiness of the countries to the beginning of work that includes the implementation of the Agreement. According to Yuri Trutnev, “The Agreement on the delimitation of maritime boundaries was signed after negotiations that lasted 40 years and now it indicates the possibilities for coordinated work and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.” Speaking about relations between Russia and Norway, the Head of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia said that both countries are leading oil and gas nations and thay play an important role in the energy balance of the planet. During the meeting the sides discussed improvement of legislation in the field of regulating the use of natural resources. Trutnev noted that the RF Ministry of Natural Resources is developing a number of bills toughening environmental requirements for oil and gas sector, this is especially important for work in the conditions of the fragile environment of the North. In addition, the Russian Federation introduced new regulations on utilization of associated gas; the figure will be increased to 95% in 2012. According to the Head of the Russian Natural Resources Ministry, it is necessary to adhere strictly to deadlines to implement these requirements. The sides have agreed on the necessity to expand strengthen and improve common interests.
The Federation will give the power to control environment to the regions President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the government to establish mechanisms of interaction of executive power bodies with the volunteers and nonprofit organizations working in the field of environmental protection, according to the press service of the Kremlin. The Head of State demanded considering incentives for active citizenship and the development of volunteerism. In addition, the President instructed to pass the organization of state environmental expertise to the regions. Following the meeting of the State Council Presidium, held on June 9 in Dzerzhinsk, the government was ordered to strengthen the financial responsibility for environmental contamination by radioactive substances and environmental control, including permits to work in the Arctic only to oil companies that are able to eliminate the leakage of hydrocarbons beneath the ice. The President instructed to eliminate a solid domestic waste landfill "Igumnovo" in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a landfill of deep ground burial in the depths of industrial waste waters and an industrial waste landfill "Black Hole" of the former production of JSC "Plexiglas" and a sludge reservoir "White Sea". About 4 million cubic meters of debris is delivered in "Igumnovo" annually. In "White Sea" belonging to the company "Sibur-Neftekhim" from 2 million to 7 million tons of waste is kept. A part of the assignments is related to the area of Sochi: it is not allowed to mine limestone, burn silt and pollute the territory of Sochi National Park. Medvedev admitted that part of the territory was damaged during the preparation for the Olympics: it is instructed to reclaim this area.
Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs can allocate 3 billion rubles to Yakutia for the construction of water intake in Yakutsk To finance the intake station on the River Lena Yakutia intends to attract credit of Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs of $ 3 billion. Intake is planned to be build in the area of Yakutsk. Vice-Premier Paul Marinychev of the republican government said that negotiations with the Bank considering this subject are underway. According to him, the authorities of Yakutia are counting on the successful completion of these negotiations. Credit is planned to be taken out for 15 years. The need for investment of the project is 3.2 billion rubles. At the moment, there is a possibility of funding from three sources: investment allowance of water, the republic's budget, target credit of the Bank. The authorities of Yakutia are planning to address this issue until the end of the summer 2011. As explained by P. Marinychev, water canal is unable to finance such a facility relying only on its own funds, even including the tariff funds. Annual revenue of the undertaking is only 5 million rubles.Construction of the new intake will commence in 2012, according to Marinychev. The existing station does not meet the needs of the city in terms of the quantity and quality of water. Capacity of the existing intake of Yakutsk is about 60 thousand cubic meters per day. Water intake was built in 1972. Now the necessity of Yakutsk and its suburbs is 100 thousand cubic meters per day. At present, water purification is performed by settling in tanks followed by chlorination. In Yakutsk, there are more than a quarter of all citizens of the republic; the city accounts for 70% of the cases of intestinal infections of the population in the country.
Delegation of Russian Federal Fisheries Agency takes part in meeting of experts of fish stock in the Arctic In Anchorage (Alaska, USA) the delegation of Russian Federal Fisheries Agency takes part in the meeting of experts on fish stocks in the Arctic. It is attended by representatives of the five Arctic states - Russia, the USA, Canada, Norway and Denmark.The parties will present the results of scientific research of aquatic biological resources of the region, discuss key challenges and research directions for the near future, and also evaluate the condition and development of international cooperation in the study of marine ecosystems in the Arctic. It should be noted that such meetings are conducted in the context of growing interest to the resources of the Arctic; according to the plan participants this should be translated into the management of long-term fisheries of living aquatic resources in the future.
Medvedev ordered the ship-owners to take the responsibility for damage caused by pollution On Thursday Russian President Dmitry Medvedev introduced amendments to the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation, which stipulate that the shipowner is responsible for the damage caused by bunker oil pollution, it is now required to insure that responsibility, reports the Kremlin press service. Under the law, a new chapter is added to the Code, "The responsibility for damage caused by bunker oil pollution", which contains provisions that reflect the basic provisions of the Convention on bunker fuel, of which Russia is a party. "The relevant articles of the Code reflect the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, which provides a single measurement of the ship's tonnage, determined without specifying units (tons) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships", - the press service stated. In addition, it is established that the transport and towing in traffic communication between the seaports of the Russian Federation (cabotage), and also activities related to icebreaking, search, rescue and towing operations, lifting of property sunken into the sea, hydraulic, subsea engineering and other similar works in inland waters or territorial sea waters of the Russian Federation, are carried out by vessels swimming under the national flag of Russia.
Medvedev: transport infrastructure have a negative impact on environment Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sees negative impact on the environment in the current state of transportation infrastructure. "A sufficient number of problems has accumulated in this sphere, especially this factor is significant for the residents of big cities, - said Dmitry Medvedev at the meeting of the Presidium of the State Council on Thursday in Dzerzhinsk. - Over the past 10 years the growth rate of car fleet has become more than five times ahead of the development of road network. This not only led to chronic traffic jams, reduced the speed of traffic, what can be still handeled, but also to the air pollution." "It requires our consolidated attention," - he added. He also urged the State Duma to consider three environmental bills received in the lower chamber as a priority, gave the government a month to complete three more laws. On the eve this topic has already been raised by the President at the meeting with representatives of environmental organizations. Then the Head of State criticized the government for a slow preparation of draft laws in the environmental field. At the State Council meeting the Head of Ministry of Natural Resources reported on the condition of the six relevant documents. Yuri Trutnev said that the issue is about the bill on Protected Areas, on enhancing the effectiveness of state environmental monitoring and increasing the effectiveness of environmental control, improving the system of regulation and economic incentives, the economic revitalization of waste management and protection of seas from oil pollution.
Russian State Council Presidium meeting is held today in Dzerzhinsk (Nizhny Novgorod region). Its topic is ensuring environmental security and the elimination of accumulated environmental damage. Proposals for solving problems in the sphere of environmental maintenance of large industrial projects will be presented to the President of Russia by the governor of Yamal Dmitry Kobylkin, according to the press service of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. It is expected that the emphasis at the meeting will be put on the problems of the regions of the Russian Arctic, in particular, on ensuring environmental security during the development of the offshore zone of the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk. Vulnerable nature of the Russian Arctic is very sensitive to the growing industrial promotion. Development of oil and gas fields in the area should be accompanied by complex measures of protection to minimize environmental losses. The prevention and elimination of impulses and oil spills in Arctic conditions, especially near the sea areas require specific approaches and solutions. The problematic issues of control and utilization of petroleum gas, repairs and construction of pipelines, security in the nuclear industry will also be touched upon. Quite possibly the proposals of legal improvement of the legislative framework in the field of environmental protection and mechanisms to eliminate the accumulated environmental damage will also follow today.
Companies may be required to include information on ecology in their reporting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has supported the idea of mandatory inclusion of compliance with environmental and energy requirements in the reports of Russian public companies. Related initiatives were exerted by the director of environmental and energy agency, Alexander Martynov. At the meeting between the President and representatives of environmental organizations Martynov expressed the view that the publication of environmental information on companies will be a tool of motivation of investors and consumers. "Under the Constitution, environmental information can not be concealed, however, according to the law on statistics, the reporting of enterprises, including ecological, is confidential," - said Martynov. Medvedev confirmed that the idea is interesting. "Of course, maybe someone considers information disclosure to be redundant, but the environmental information should be public, no one should argue with that, I'm willing to support this," - said the President. He asked his aide Arkady Dvorkovich to "think - maybe this should be included in the standard." "We may scare someone, but it will encourage the companies to provide environmental reports" - said the Head of State.
The court ordered the "82 Ship-Repair Yard" to cease the dumping of untreated sewage into the Kola Bay The court ordered the JSC “82 Shipyard” to cease the dumping of untreated sewage into the Kola Bay - informs the press service of the prosecutor's office of the Murmansk region. Violation was identified by Murmansk Interdistrict Environmental Prosecutor's Office. “82 Ship-Repair Yard” uses the Kola Bay (Chalpmushka lip, lip Roslyakovo) in the Barents Sea for the seawater intake and discharge of sewage in 7 outlets, and the exploitation of berthing floats and crafts. Violating the Water Code of the Russian Federation from January 1, 2011, the plant uses the Kola Bay without issuing the necessary documents. In addition, the company dumps the wastewater with excess of the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances into the bay, which is a fishery water body of the highest category. The court ordered the “82 Ship-Repair Yard” to issue legal documents on the use of a water body, and also equip wastewater treatment plants with devices allowing the proper cleaning of wastewater from polluting substances.
The State Duma plans to consider a bill to create a unified state system of environmental monitoring The State Duma plans to consider a bill to create a unified state system of environmental monitoring of the Russian Federation. During the spring session the State Duma plans to consider the bill “On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in terms of increasing organizational effectiveness of state environmental monitoring” prepared by the Government of the Russian Federation in the first reading. The changes proposed to be made in the Federal Laws "On Environmental Protection", "On the use of atomic energy", "On the State Corporation of atomic energy", provide the formation of a unified state environmental monitoring system based on the principles of the unity of methodological, metrological and informational approaches. It is proposed to consolidate all existing monitoring activities in the field of environmental protection into a single state system of ecological monitoring. To accomplish this it is supposed to create a single state fund of environmental monitoring data. The changes are also aimed at improving the monitoring of radiation situation in Russia. Under the bill the state monitoring of radiation situation in Russia is being implemented within the framework of a unified state automated monitoring system. Relevant information should be directed by the bodies of state administration in the field of atomic energy and operating organizations to a single system. To implement the law (if it is passed) it will be necessary to make changes in the government decree “On organization and implementation of state environmental monitoring”. In addition, it will be required to carry three government regulations that determine the order of the Unified State Fund maintenance for environmental monitoring data, the procedure of preparation and distribution of annual public report on the condition and protection of the environment and the order of organization and functioning of the unified state automated system for monitoring the radiological situation. According to the Energy Committee, the law will allow participants of environmental monitoring to interact more effectively, to systematize the collection and the analysis of information obtained through the implementation of the various types of monitoring in the field of environmental protection, to better predict changes of environment and ecological systems.
Vladivostok waters are contaminated with quicksilver and sewage runoff In 2010, the Vladivostok waters crossed the "point of no return", what led to an avalanche accumulation of pollution in them. Already dysfunctional ecological state of sea water is compounded by the numerous construction projects and repair of sewage systems. At the press conference with participation of Primgidromet experts, the Head of Centre for Environmental Pollution Monitoring Galina Semykina told reporters why she hasn’t been swimming on the beaches of Vladivostok for 15 years. Year by year, researches of Primgidromet specialists show constant increasing of concentration of oil products in the sea, phenols, heavy metals and organic substances. Since 2005 in the coastal waters of Vladivostok the content of quicksilver has been increasing. Last year, the concentration of this toxic metal exceeded the norm, and reached extremely level. According to Galina Semykina, the exact causes of the appearance of a large amount of quicksilver in sea water can hardly be found: "We do not know the reasons. Presumably, the sources of quicksilver are landfills, runoff from which falls straight into the sea. However, there may be several reasons." According to the ecologist, heavy metals in water may be of natural origin. “Primorye – is a mining ore province. Meanwhile, the edge is all plowed; everywhere there is a grand building. As a result, the ore falls into the sea “- explained Galina Semykina. Large-scale changes in the city led to an increase in contamination of Amur Bay with sewage runoff. According to experts in connection with the reconstruction of municipal networks in the area of construction of treatment facilities, waste products of citizens’ life-sustaining activity drain into the through the Vtoraya rechka. In this regard, environmentalists expect a surge of faecal pollution in the Amur Bay in 2011. According to Galina Semykina, giving permission to swim in such waters, Rospotrebnadzor does not take into the account all factors. Their research, according to the ecologist, involves only microbiological indicators - those that can immediately affect the health of swimmers. Meanwhile, they do not take into the account the chemical contamination, which influence on the body has long-term consequences. "After all, the water contacts with the skin and mucous membranes. I'm not a doctor and I can not give precise conclusions, but I haven’t been swimming in Vladivostok for15 years. And now I wouldn’t risk going to the Russky also", - said the ecologist.
Environmental monitoring of the White Sea will be held by the expedition on the ship "Ivan Petrov" Environmental monitoring of the White Sea will be held by the expedition setting off today from Archangelsk on the research vessel of Sevgidromet "Ivan Petrov". According to the press-secretary of agency Elena Novikova, oceanologists and hydrologists are participating in the expedition. Their goal is to obtain complex information about the condition of the natural system of the White Sea, to carry out oceanographic, hydrochemical, biological, meteorological, hydrological studies of seasonal changes in the sea environment. “The Kandalaksha and Dvina bays, the throat and basin of the White Sea basin will also be sampled for water contamination, - said Novikova. – It is also planned to sample sediments near Severodvinsk for this purpose.” Supplies will be delivered to the stations of Sevgidromet difficult of access in the White Sea - food, clothing, appliances. This trip of "Ivan Petrov" opens the Arctic sea navigation of the research fleet of Sevgidromet, which will last until late autumn.
Russian researchers found no radiation in the Sea of Japan Sailing Ship "Nadezhda" returned to Vladivostok: the team has been investigating the Russian regions of the Japan Sea in search of radioactive contamination after the accident at the Japanese nuclear plant Fukushima 1 for four weeks. Team members - scientists and experts of the MOE - affirm that the numerous air and water samples taken in different squares, showed no increase of radiation background and content of radio nuclides. "Nadezhda" joined the scientific ship “Pavel Gordienko” working at sea. During the expedition sailboat passed 3,2 thousand nautical miles. The route was designed so that researchers could take samples at different points in the Sea of Japan. - We have investigated the phytoplankton, water and air. Dozens of samples were collected, and they all showed that the radiation background varies from 4 to 12 micro-roentgen per hour, which is within normal limits. The results of research are waiting to be compiled, but now we can say that the consequences of the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant did not affect Russian Pacific waters and the atmosphere above it, - said expedition member, Vice-Rector of the Maritime State University (MSU) of Nevelsky Oleg Bukin. Scientists note that the radiation situation in the Japan Sea near Sakhalin Island, where they conducted research at the second stage, corresponds to average rates. Let us recall that scientists studying the radiation situation in the Sea of Japan under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society on the research vessel “Pavel Gordienko” (he returned to Vladivostok earlier), have announced similar results. - Before the expedition we have assumed that there is no radiation danger for the Far East, but now we can confirm this. We took samples of water, air and fish in various parts of the Sea of Japan. Radio nuclides in the air were found only in the northern borders of Japan and north-western part of the Kuroshio Current, but even there the concentration is thousand times below dangerous values. There was not found anything dangerous in fish as well - told the trip supervisor, Alexander Nikitin (Source - Rossiyskaya Gazeta).
Azerbaijan proposes to ban sturgeon fishing for 10-12 years in the Caspian Sea To increase the population of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea a moratorium on sturgeon fishing is necessary, at least for 10-12 years, said the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) Huseyngulu Bagirov at a press conference on Friday. “Azerbaijan for several years now initiates a moratorium on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea” - also said the minister, adding that this issue is on the agenda of discussions of the working groups of the Caspian states. According to him, the next round of the region on this matter will be held in Iran. Negotiations of the Caspian countries on the need for signing a moratorium on sturgeon fishing has been carried out since1992. In April 2009 Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that Kazakhstan and Iran offered to declare a moratorium on sturgeon fishing, as poaching and mining of sturgeon lead to the fact that it may disappear. Azerbaijani experts believe that appropriate mechanisms should be developed for the implementation of the moratorium, and to effectively monitor it it is necessary to recreate the structure similar to that which existed in Soviet times - the Marine Inspection for the regulation of fisheries, stationed in Baku.
Research vessel for the second phase of the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) aimed at examination of the effect of the accident at the plant "Fukushima-1" on the radiation environment on the coast of the Russian Far East will be chosen soon, said the vice-president of the RGS, special envoy of Russian President on International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Artur Chilingarov on Thursday. Earlier it was planned that the expedition will depart on the vessel "Professor Hlyustin", which, however, will be passing through major repairs until the spring of 2012. The first phase of the complex RGS expedition started on April 22, 2011 from Vladivostok; during 28 days expedition moved from Vladivostok to the Strait between the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, and then along the Kuril Islands to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. At this stage the main attention was focused on studying the movement of radioactive substances and hydrometeorological situation. "The second will be coordinated with the Academy of Sciences, Russian Hydrometeorology Committee, agencies that have fleet and fishermen. We will find a ship that will work, and the principle of selection of members of the expedition will be the same. During the week or ten days, we will determine the ship, "- said Chilingarov. It is expected that the second phase will begin in August-September 2011, at the same time, the legendary polar explorer did not rule out that the study will be conducted with the help of deep-sea vehicles "Mir", and possibly in the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of Japan, and that will require the permission of Japanese authorities. Complex research throughout the water column, including oceanographic, hydrochemical and hydrobiological factors will be carried out during the second phase. It will bring together marine biologists, who will take samples of marine fauna.
Iriklinsky reservoir will be a protected natural area Iriklinsky reservoir may fall under special protection, according to the press service of Rosprirodnadzor. At an expanded meeting on the operation of the reservoir, with the participation of representatives of regional authorities, Rosprirodnadzor, Federal Agency of Fishery and other agencies, it was decided to prepare a proposal for a natural pond in the park - a protected natural area of regional significance before July, 1 2011. In addition, it was decided to prepare proposals for changes in fishing rules for the Volga-Caspian fishery basin, and to create a permanent Regional Interagency Council on the development of fishery industry of the Orenburg region, to work on the issue of conservation measures and measures for stocking with fish the Iriklinsky reservoir.
WWF will award the Amur river region for creating a system of natural reserves World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has issued the certificate of "Guardian of the Earth" in the name of the governor of the Amur Oblast Oleg Kozhemyako for completing a system of natural reserves, said the director of WWF-Russia Amur branch Yuri Darman on Monday. According to him, awarding a certificate, signed by the Director General of WWF International Secretariat, Jim Leape, will be held on Thursday. On the same day environmentalists will give the Amur region three UAZ for preservation of protected areas. Cars are designed for the Directorate for the Protection and Use of Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Amur region. The system of protected areas was created under the regional programme "Improving the functioning of the protected areas system in the Amur region and the system of protection of wildlife in the period 2009-2011" and "Scheme of development and distribution of protected areas of regional importance in the Amur region". "Authorities of the region completed creating a system of protected areas in 2010. Commitments which the Amur region made in 1998 within the framework of international programme of WWF “Gift to the Earth” are surpassed 1,5 times - new protected areas created for 2.1 million hectares, "- said the source. Ex-governor Leonid Korotkov was the first in the Amur region to get the title "Guardian of the Earth" in 2002. With his participation to this term six new protected areas - and one of five protected natural park were established at once in the region.
RGS expedition completed radiological investigations in area of the Kuril Islands Expedition of the Russian Geographical Society has completed studies on the radiological situation in Sakhalin and on the Kuril Islands, that were conducted after the accident at Japanese Atomic Power Station "Fukushima", - the radiation level is normal, according to report made by the Acting Chief of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in the Sakhalin region Vyacheslav Murnaev at a press conference on Friday. After the devastating earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011 and the subsequent tsunami at the Atomic Power Station “Fukushima-1” a series of accidents caused by failure of the cooling system was recorded. As a result of incidents at the nuclear power plants several leaks of radiation were revealed, forcing authorities to evacuate people from the 20-kilometer zone around the plant. Later information about the discovery of the radioactive elements, in particular, isotopes of iodine and cesium in the air, sea and drinking water, and also in products in some parts of Japan appeared. "Expedition of the Russian Geographical Society returned in the port of Vladivostok on the ship"Pavel Gordienko" on Friday. Within a month, experts of Rospotrebnadzor, Russian Hydromet, Rosatom, the MOE and other agencies conducted studies of the contamination of radionuclides of water and biological resources", - said Murnaev. According to him, the vessel has been on the route Vladivostok - Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, and then along the Kuril Islands to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and back. Specialists conducted an intake of seawater and bio-resources in seven locations at different depths. The total background radiation was measured; studies of marine biological resources were carried out. "On the whole route, including the coast of Japan, the general background radiation does not exceed 5 to 7 micro-roentgen per hour. The study of fish and alga were carried out at various points. The natural radiation level is not exceeded", - said Murnaev. He added that the sailing-ship "Hope" went on a similar expedition with scientists on board under the Russian Geographical Society. He passed the Sea of Japan, the coast of Korea, then turned around and is now in the port of De Castries of the Khabarovsk Krai. The intake of the sea water is carried out, as well as the measure of the background radiation of air and the study of sea biological resources. "In August, the Russian Geographic Society plans to hold another naval complex expedition to explore the radiation environment in the Japan Sea and along the Kuril Islands", - said Murnaev. According to him, all 99 stations continue to operate in the Sakhalin region monitoring the radiological situation. Abnormalities have not been recorded.
The impact of the Nord Stream pipeline on the environment is below forecasts The impact Nord Stream has on the Baltic Sea ecosystem is less than expected, according to the first environmental monitoring data that have been collected by the Nord Stream since gas pipeline started operations. According to the leader of the environment team of Nord Stream Bruno Helga, society has invested around 100 million euros (345 million litas) in the study. Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany (countries through the waters of which the gas pipeline is carried) estimating the possible impact of the pipeline on the ecosystem of the sea, gave permission for the installation and operation of the pipeline, stating what social parameters and environmental parameters are necessary to observe and record. Nord Stream oversees the work of installing the pipeline, analyzing 16 parameters: water quality, precipitation, cloudiness, hydrography, seabed topography, commercial fishing, marine mammals, fauna, etc. Nord Stream will issue annual reports in which the next rates will be compiled: monitoring data of social parameters and environmental parameters conducted in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia. These data will be also provided by institutions of Environment of Lithuania and other Baltic Sea countries.
South Ural mobilizes forces to save drinking water sources in the region. An agreement for intermunicipal cooperation on improvement of Irtyashsko-Kasli lake system was signed at the residence of the governor. According to the regional government, this is the first step toward large-scale water revolution in the Southern Urals. The essence of this agreement is that saving the water bodies of the region is only possible with the help of joint efforts. Lake is not a property of one municipality; it is an integral ecosystem, which should be protected by all the residents of adjacent territories. Irtyashsko Kasli lake system is a clear confirmation of this fact: it provides four settlements with drinking water at once – Snezhinsk, Ozersk, Kasli and Kyshtym. It is necessary to implement joint environmental programmes to save water from contamination and drought. Constantin Tsybko, a member of the Council of Federation said: "We should not allow the critical situation to arrive, our consumption of water will only grow; the industry in the Chelyabinsk region is developing rapidly, the water consumption increases. And we can face the crisis of such kind that it would halt development of the whole industry in the region." Salvation of Irtyashsko-Kasli lake system is only the first step in the environmental programme of the region. Currently, the question of holding a large-scale audit of water bodies and drawing up the so-called ecological passports is solving. According to the scientists, this will answer the main question: how to preserve water resources in the region and avoid a disastrous drought. One of the ways is building new reservoirs and transition to the economical use of water. For clarity, the experts give the figures: the Russian industry spends 5-6 times more water than Europe for one kilogram of manufactured goods.
Rosneft and British Petroleum intend to complete the share exchange British BP and Rosneft intend to complete the transaction on the exchange of shares on Monday. “I can not comment on timing, but I am sure that sooner or later we will make a deal,” - said the head of BP Robert Dudley. Litigation surrounding the share exchange and alliance BP and Rosneft resulted in a win of the Russian shareholders of TNK-BP. The Stockholm Arbitration Court allowed BP and Rosneft to have an exchange of shares if Rosneft allows BP and AAR-TNK-BP to participate in the Arctic Kara Sea project. Possible agreement itself has changed: for the exchange of shares of BP and Rosneft they have to agree with the fact that the received shares will be used only for investment and will be pass in trust. In this case, a trust administrator will be entitled to vote on these shares. BP and Rosneft will not be able to enter their representatives on the boards of directors of trust companies. Temporary security measures for the exchange of shares and the Arctic project will be preserved until Rosneft will agree to the new conditions.
V. Prozorovsky: The bill of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment raises many questions and complaints A meeting of the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Mineral Resources (Chairman - Valery Prozorovsky) of the RUIE Committee on Energy Policy and Energy Efficiency was held on May 12, 2011 in the RUIE. At the meeting a draft of federal law "On protection of the sea environment from oil pollution during the development of hydrocarbon deposits on the continental shelf, inland sea waters and territorial sea of the Russian Federation" was discussed. Valery Prozorovsky noted that there was a similar bill, developed by the specialists of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the bill is currently in the government's Committee on Legislation. But it raises many questions and complaints from professionals and experts. At the same time, the version of the bill prepared by the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Subsoil Use, causes some interest. But this variant is still raw and needs some refinement in order to conduct a comparative analysis of both bills. Valery Prozorovsky alos opposes entering the Duma for discussion and considering as alternatives of the both bills at once. As a result of the discussion it was decided to actualize activity of the working group, created last year to develop this bill and to prepare the text and an explanatory note to it by early June. Only after the financial feasibility study of the bill will be ready, the discussion will be carried out at the highest environmental council of the Committee of Natural Resources of the State Duma, and also at the advisory council of the faction of the "United Russia" party in the Duma will be open to this version of the bill for the adoption of its parliamentarians. Valery Prozorovskii said that the developers of the bill "from Ministry of Natural Resources" were invited to the subcommittee meeting, "but we do not see them here." A hope remains that the personal contacts "still persist." "I do not want to quarrel with the Ministry of Natural Resources, we must act together and choose the version of the bill, that will be really able to work", - said V. Prozorovsky.
Company «Shtokman Development AG» will hold a series of seminars in coordination with WWF Today in Murmansk upon an initiative of Shtokman Development AG a meeting of representatives of the company with a special group of experts was held. The meeting was attended by developers of the environmental component of the Shtokman project - the company FRECOM, Polar Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Murmansk Sea Biological Institute of Kola Science Centre, and also representatives of regional environmental organizations - the Barents Sea branch of the World Wildlife Fund, Bellona-Murmansk, the Kola wild nature conservation center. SDAG representatives took the initiative to attract social and environmental organizations to production monitoring at the stage of the Shtokman project. In addition, the participants supported the establishment of compensatory protected area in the area of Voroniya Bay on the Kola Peninsula. Interested non-governmental environmental organizations were also invited to join the agreement on cooperation between SDAG and WWF, signed in September 2009, and to develop regulations of mutual exchange of information. Participants of the meeting confirmed the necessity to continue the dialogue. Company Shtokman Development AG intends to consult the key stakeholders throughout the process of development of project documentation within the framework of realization of the first phase of the Shtokman project. To discuss and address additional questions of the public, SDAG along with WWF Russia will hold a series of seminars to explain the main technical solutions adopted for the project implementation. A special expert group was formed by SDAG in 2010 to maximize the efficient operation of consideration of the comments and recommendations of the public to the materials of assessment of environmental impact made during the public hearings on the Shtokman project. Similar meetings were held in 2010 and proved to be effective.
The draft plan for a law on recreational fishing will be submitted to the State Duma on May 31 The bill on sport and recreational fisheries has already been developed, it is now being coordinated in federal agencies, and the document will be submitted to the Duma on May 31. The Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery Andrei Krainiy said that on Wednesday speaking in the Duma. "The bill is designed by Commission under Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, which consisted of 12 people, including representatives of public organizations", - said Krainiy. "We have an instruction of Prime Minister from May 31 to submit the bill to the State Duma, and we will fulfill this mission", - assured the head of the service. Earlier, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the authorities did intend to carry out a fundamental change in the existing order of the recreational and sport fishing. At the end of December 2010 amendments to the federal law “On fisheries and conservation of aquatic biological resources” were adopted, according to which part of the Russian fishing ponds becomes fee-paying. Possible introduction of paid fishing in the Russian Federation has caused intense discussion in the country. On April 20 in the State Duma Putin said that the traditional places of free public fishing should be maintained, and the territory of paid fishing should be limited to a maximum of 5% of the total water surface in the region. Prime Minister instructed the Federal Agency for Fishery to prepare a draft of a federal law regulating recreational and sport fishing, and introduce it to the government until May 31.
Russian Emergency Ministry intends to explore several dangerous underwater objects in 2011 In May and November 2011 Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia is planning to hold three complex expeditions to monitor the state of dangerous underwater objects in the Kara, the Okhotsk, the Japan and the Black Sea, said Chief Expert of Department of Fire and Rescue Forces of Emergency Situations Ministry Oleg Kuznetsov in an exclusive interview with RIA News on Tuesday. "Warning of possible emergency situations on dangerous underwater objects, wholly or partially submerged in the internal waters and territorial sea of the Russian Federation as a result of accidents or burial, is a concrete measure of protection of population and protection of the aquatic environment from the hazardous exposure of nuclear materials, radioactive, chemical, poisonous, explosives and other hazardous substances "- a spokesman said. According to Kuznetsov, in the Kara Sea works will be held in the north-western part of the Novaya Zemlya downwarping, the bays Tsivolki, Sedov and currents. In particular, in the Gulf Tsivolki it is planned to survey the area of radioactive waste disposal, including the screen assembly, the unit of the nuclear installation of the atomic icebreaker "Lenin" and a group of objects, which have been previously equipped with sensors of automatic radiation monitoring devices. "For the first time it is planned to use small-sized multi-autonomous unmanned underwater device "Pilgrim", allowing to explore harmful radiation objects at depths of up to three thousand meters," - said the representative of the office. He added that the works will be carried out in the Japan and the Okhotsk seas. In the vicinity of Cape Nizky the search for a radioisotope thermoelectric generator of type RTG weighing 2.5 tons will be continued. In 1987 in the course of the carriage in terms of severe weather conditions it came off the external suspension of Mi-8 helicopter and was lost. "24 square kilometers of seabed near the Cape Nizky were surveyed last year, the object was not found. A radio-ecological monitoring of the district was carried out - the radiation situation is characterized as normal,"- said Kuznetsov. According to him, data from all expeditions taking into the account the danger gravity of the surveyed sites will be then included in a relevant register maintained by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia according to the decision of the Russian Government. Currently, it contains information on nearly 25,000 potentially dangerous underwater objects. "Dumping of explosives, two torpedo boats, cargo ship “Nakhichevan” and military motorboat were found near the Cape and the Tuzla Spit in the Black Sea last year. In the area Myskhako five military ships were examined, including destroyers "Gromky" and, presumably, a mine-layer"- a spokesman said. In addition, Kuznetsov said that the "ecological state of the surveyed areas of the Black Sea, from the viewpoint of chemical pollutants, is currently satisfactory."
The Russian Federation is against the division of waters of the Caspian Sea into national sectors - Deputy Prime Minister Ivanov Russia continues to oppose the division of the Caspian Sea into national sectors, as this requires revising the established regime of water usage, said Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov. "Russia has always considered the Caspian to be a unique inland body of water, and opposes the division of its water area into national sectors, as this requires radical revision of the regime of economic use of this reservoir existing over the past 70 years," - said Ivanov, speaking at the meeting of the Sea Collegium of the Russian Government. He noted that, in the opinion of the Russian Federation, certain types of Caspian resources, for example, aquatic bioresources are indivisible and require implementing coherent policy on the conservation from all coastal states. The problems of navigation security, environment and ecology protection, especially in the field of prevention of accidental oil spills in the course of offshore development of the sea, said the Vice Premier. He recalled that Russia has already managed to solve the problem of delimitation of the seabed of the Caspian Sea, signing relevant agreements with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Ivanov noted that this work should be pursued. Status of the Caspian Sea was regulated by treaties of 1921 and 1940 between the Soviet Union and Iran. The negotiation process of establishing a new legal status is still ongoing, a number of states completed bilateral agreements.
Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev distributed duties among his deputies Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia Yuri Trutnev signed an order distributing the duties among his five deputies. The press service of the Ministry of Nature informs about the news. Vice Ministers Resources supervise the work of the departments of Ministry of Natural of Russia and the Ministry's subordinate agencies and services. Areas of responsibility of Sergey Donskoy (appointed in 2008) - Department of Economics and Finance, Department of State policy and regulation in the field of geology and mineral resources, the Federal Agency for Subsoil Use (Rosnedra). Semyon Levy (appointed in 2008) supervises and monitors the activities of the Department of State policy and regulation in the field of water resources, Department of Public Policy and Regulation of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Federal Agency of Water Resources (Rosvodresursy) and the Federal Service of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Rosgidromet). In April of 2011 Rinat Gizatulin was appointed Deputy Minister. He provides supervision and coordination of the Department of State policy and regulation in the field of environmental protection and ecological safety, the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, Federal Service of Supervision of management of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor). Vladimir Melnikov (appointed in 2010) is responsible for the work of Department of Governmental Policy and regulation in the sphere of hunting and wildlife. State Secretary, Deputy Minister Nikolai Popov (appointed in 2008) carries out managerial supervision operations of the Legal Department activities.
A plan for implementing climate doctrine of the Russian Federation is approved Ministry of Natural Resources will inform citizens about global climate change. The government of Russia approved a complex plan for the implementation of the climate doctrine of the Russian Federation up to 2020, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers stated. Approved plan defines the competence of ministries and agencies to implement separate components of the doctrine. Ministry of Economic Development will deal with forecasting of venting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the Ministry of Natural Resources will inform citizens about climate change in the world. All agencies must annually until February 15 submit reports on its implementation to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Ministry of Natural Resources, in its turn, submits a report on the implementation of plan of doctrine to the Government until March 15 of each year. Climatic doctrine was approved by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in December 2009. The document stipulates the necessity to allocate resources to monitoring the adverse natural phenomena. The doctrine also identifies areas for action that Russia intends to undertake in the sphere of climate change. First of all, it is referred to improving energy efficiency of the Russian economy and technological modernization.
Yuri Trutnev named Roman Yershov to a post of director of the National Park "Russian Arctic" Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Yuri Trutnev named Roman Yershov to a post of director of the National Park "Russian Arctic". Ph.D. of Biology Roman Ershov won in open competition for the post of Director held by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia in order to enhance transparency of the formation of personnel reserve in reservations and national parks. His candidacy was supported by the environmental research community. Roman Ershov was born on June 10, 1982 in the city of Velsk, the Velsk district of the Arkhangelsk region. In 2004 he graduated from the Arkhangelsk State Technical University, majoring in forest engineering and aesthetic forestry; in 2006 he graduated from the Arkhangelsk State Technical University, majoring Lawyer and PhD. From 2004 to present Ershov worked at the Institute of Ecological Problems of the North, Ural Branch of RAS, where he held the posts of graduate student, junior researcher, researcher, senior researcher. He participated in the project of creation of the national park “Russian Arctic”. The national park "Russian Arctic" with total area of 1.426 million hectares is located within the boundaries of the municipality "New Earth" in the Arkhangelsk region. It includes the land area of 632,090 hectares in the Arkhangelsk region in northern part of the island Novaya Zemlya and adjacent islands, and land adjoining water area of 793 910 hectares. In accordance with the Charter of Partnership "Russian Arctic" provides protection of the territory of the park and State Nature Reserve of federal significance "Franz Josef Land" formed in 1994. The area of the reserve is of 42 000 sq. km.
Sea hunters of Chukotka will be able to get130 gray whales this year Communities of sea hunters of Chukotka are allowed to get 130 gray whales and one bowhead whale this year; this corresponds to the level of previous years, a representative of the Department of agricultural policy and the nature of the Chukotka Autonomous Region said on Wednesday. A complete ban on kill of gray whales that are brought under the Red Book has been in force since 1947. Now the hunting which is not a cost-effective business is allowed only to indigenous people of Chukotka in order to maintain their traditional economic activities and preservation of the socio-economic and cultural identity.First whales on the coast of Chukotka are being hunted according to the retreat of the ice, and this can happen as early as May. "Fisheries county council approved the allocation of limits on aboriginal hunting gray and bowhead whales in 2011 on the basis of annual quotas of the International Whaling Commission and applications of sea hunters’ communities. As a result, sea hunters of the 10 Chukotka communities will be able to get 130 gray whales and one bowhead whale. In the District reserves nine animal units still remain "- a spokesman said. After years of break a desire to get two gray whales was also expressed by the villagers of Konergino of the Iultinsky area district. However, as before, the bulk of the quota is allowed to get to the most experienced and successful whalers from four communities of the Chukotka region of the district, who owns the right to get as many as 100 animals. 36 teams of marine mammal hunters are in action now in Chukotka, involving around 300 indigenous inhabitants of the region.
Russia will create Spitsbergen Research Centre, said Chilingarov Russian Research Centre will be built in Barentsburg on Spitsbergen, said special representative of the Russian President on international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, the Deputy of the State Duma Artur Chilingarov. "There is a decision to build a Russian Research Center on the base of existing observatory. This will take place in Barentsburg "- said Chilingarov on April 26. He suggested to the establish this center this year. According to Artur Chilingarov, he has recently met with the management of Spitsbergen and it understands it is obliged to implement the agreement on the Russian presence. However, he noted that the Russian regions should show initiative relating to Spitsbergen. Chilingarov also reported that the first meeting of the governmental commission on Spitsbergen will be held on April 28, it will headed by Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.
A meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia and the U.S. State DepartmentAs the press service of Ministry of Natural Resources reported, the sides discussed issues of cooperation within the framework of preparation for the next meeting of the Working Group on Environmental Protection of bilateral Russian-American Presidential Commission, including the establishment of specially protected natural reservations (SPNR s) that will subsequently become a part of the Russian-American transboundary reservation “Beringia”. The Russian side was represented by Director of Department of International Cooperation Nuritdin Inamov, American – by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and Oceans Daniel Rifsnayder. The dialogue participants noted that Russia and the U.S. are successfully developing bilateral cooperation in the sphere of biodiversity conservation and management of national parks and reserves. Directors of Russian protected areas made a trip to the U.S in February 2011; currently a reciprocal trip of American specialists to Russian reserves is being planned as well as a visit of Rifsnayder to the Far East to share experience. The sides discussed the preparation for the third session of the Russian-American Commission on polar bear, scheduled for July 2011 in Russia. N. Inamov stressed that in accordance with the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation will not use their own quota for the extraction of polar bears (29 animal units) which is provided for each side by the Commission's decision. This decision is caused by national policy in the sphere of conservation and increasing the polar bear population in Chukotka and Alaska, and the fight against poaching. The meeting mapped out a strategy for cooperation in areas such as prevention and fight against forest fires, the use of American experience of creation the Superfund for the eradication of past environmental damage, the implementation of the UNECE Convention of UN on Long-range transboundary Air Pollution, water resources management, the removal of contaminants in the Arctic, including soot, which reduces the reflectivity of snow and leads to the acceleration of its melting.
Russian Emergency Situations Ministry started monitoring the sea radioactive dump Emergency Situations Ministry of Russia for the first time in the world practice launched a remote control of the area of radioactive waste dumping with the help of a system of automatic warning about the threat of radioactive contamination, said Chief Expert Department of Fire and Rescue Forces of Emergency Situations Ministry Oleg Kuznetsov. Three radiation-dangerous underwater objects are located at depths ranging from 40 to 50 meters in the Gulf of Tsivolki in the Kara Sea, including a screen assembly and block of a the nuclear installation OK-150 of a nuclear-powered icebreaker "Lenin", they are equipped with advanced systems of automatic early warning about the threat of radioactive contamination "- said the expert. According to him, the selected sites were equipped with special autonomous devices, manufactured on request of Emergency Situations Ministry of Russia by LLC “SITEKRIM”, which have no analogues in the world today. The system allows monitoring of gamma rays in the sea environment, setting the frequency of radiation control of dangerous objects at depths of 500 meters, and storing the results in memory. "Our study showed that the content of cesium-137 in the upper layer of bottom sediments of the Kara Sea in general conforms with background figures of the region, it might bespeak of the integrity of protective barriers at the surveyed sites" - the representative of office stated. Kuznetsov said that currently more than 24 thousand objects are included in the register of dangerous underwater objects, including equipment and installation of nuclear submarines containing nuclear materials, radioactive, chemical warfare, explosives and other substances that could lead to emergency situations.
Yuri Trutnev criticized the Kama Rosprirodnadzor A meeting on environmental security of the Perm region chaired by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Yuri Trutnev was held today, April 15. The deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor of the Russian Federation Amirkhan Amirkhanov reported on the difficult ecological situation in the region, then Trutnev came down on the regional administration of the federal agency. The governor of Perm Oleg Chirkunov was the first to report to the Minister on the current environmental situation. According to Oleg Chirkunov, points that are critical to the region's environment are: Kizelovsky coal basin, which negatively affects water resources, Krasnokamsky bark barrow which is responsible for air pollution, and also the legacy of nuclear explosive technologies on the north of the region and Bereznikovsko-Solikamsky site. According to the governor, approximately 75% of annual air emissions are provided by a large pool of companies, including JSC “Chusovskoy Metallurgical Plant”, JSC "Bereznikovskiy Soda Plant”, LLC “Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky” and other business giants. At the same time, the quantity of emissions caused by road transport grows: the exponent increased from 206.3 thousand tons per year to 217.8 thousand tons per year from 2008 to 2010. According to the governor, volumes of industrial and household waste are also increasing. The situation with water pollution is grave. The report of the Deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor of the Russian Federation Amirkhan Amirkhanov revealed more details of the environmental problems of the Perm region. According to the official, the Perm Region has long been one of the twenty regions with the highest pollution level. In conclusion, Amirkhan Amirkhanov appealed to the local officials: the region that occupies leading positions in the PFD in environmental pollution must have a program of environment protection. "You must have appropriate regulations and increased funding priorities in this area. All this should be provided by a regional programme, "- said Mr. Amirkhanov. After this statement Trutnev drew attention to the leadership of local government of Rosprirodnadzor, also presented at the meeting. “Tell me, what your department is thinking about? - protested the minister. "In 2009 we prepared a letter to the Government of the region ..." – the officials began to make excuses. But Trutnev retorted: "We are not postmen deliver letters." As a result of a brief discussion, the minister said that he was extremely displeased with Rosprirodnadzor department in the Perm region and appealed to Amirkhan Amirkhanov with the proposal to discuss in detail this situation during their return to Moscow.
Construction of Nord Stream has not significantly affected the Gulf of Finland - Estonia. Estonia continues to monitor the impact on environment of the works on installation of gas pipeline Nord Stream. The second stage of additional research is completed. Due to the initiative of the Ministry of Environment the sea water quality has been studied during the laying of gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland, reported the Ministry of Environment. "According to initial data of the study it can be concluded that during the study period in the economic waters of Estonia in the course the construction of the pipeline there were no serious deviations", said the expert of the Marine Environment Department of the Ministry of Environment Heidi Kyaer. According to the report, the turbidity of the bottom layer of water was unimportant and had no direct connection with work on installing the pipeline. Measuring instruments recorded only one case of significant turbidity, but it happened during the storm. A decrease of oxygen level in the bottom layers of the Gulf of Finland was recorded in some locations. Tracking stations recorded data on the content of nutrients, turbidity, oxygen content, etc. in the vicinity of the pipeline construction. The first stage of works was completed in August last year. In the course of those works condition of the pipeline before the beginning of construction was studied. Data were collected on the content of heavy metals and dioxins, effects on the underwater fauna and flora, etc. "The data and conclusions on the second stage are the original, a system of mathematical modeling will be used for more accurate findings", said Kyaer. "The final conclusions of the scientists will be ready by the end of the year" - he added.
Routine monitoring of the river Vyatka will be organized A meeting on the organization of the system of routine monitoring of the environment at the area of the territory along the river Vyatka from the city of Sloboda to Kirov was held at the department of environment and management of natural resources of the Kirov region. According to the press service of the government of the region, the meeting was attended by representatives of regional and federal nature protection authorities, and also ten large enterprises realizing the water use of the river. As explained in the department, heavy anthropogenic load at this stretch of river has developed historically; it is caused by wastewater discharge by more than 30 enterprises and disorganized discharge of surface and drainage waters from the polluted urban, industrial and agricultural areas. At the same time there is a zone of sanitary protection of water intake of the regional center, and also there are recreational areas of Kirov, Slobodsky and Kirovo-Chepetsk. In connection with an emergency situation during the spring floods of the 2010 (water pollution of the river Vyatka with ammonia nitrogen), and also for well-timed detection of the reasons that negatively affect the environment, development and implementation of corrective measures, a system of routine monitoring has been created within the framework of the state ecological monitoring by the Decree of the Government of the region.
Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station meets the world environmental standards Electricity production at hydroelectric power stations all over the world is considered to be one of the most environmentally safe industries. HPP doesn’t produce any harmful air emissions, does not pollute water and soil. However the influence of hydroelectric power stations on the environment is clear: any dam is a regulator of the rivers. Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station is the primary and one and only regulator of the runoff and water regime of the largest river of the continent – the Yenisei River near the city of Krasnoyarsk. CEO of JSC Krasnoyarsk HPP Sergei Kaminsky says that the influence of the Krasnoyarsk HPP on the environment is inevitable, however, he adds, one of the priorities of the station is to reduce any negative impact to a minimum. So the company has undertaken a commitment in addition to following all the rules and requirements of the Russian environmental legislation to maintain compliance of business processes of the enterprise and the international environmental standard ISO14001. It is worth noting that ISO certification is voluntary and does not supersede the requirements of the government in the area of environmental protection and ecological safety. The aim of standardization was to reduce environmental risks in the process of the production of electricity at hydroelectric power plant and to provide additional guarantees of the obligations of the company to consumers and regulatory bodies. At the same time, the integration of environmental management system in conjunction with the previously implemented quality management system (ISO 9001) allowed to form a unified and more effective scheme of management of hydroelectric power plant. Subsequent to the results of the audit of certification company Det NorskeVeritas, the environmental management system of JSC Krasnoyarsk HPP was amount relevant to ISO 14001:2004 in 2010. Initiated Audited confirmed the qualification of specialists of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power plant immediately, incrementally, according to the instructions and rules to respond adequately to changes in the external environment, to solve production problems in the light of the permanent management of environmental aspects of hydroelectric power plant. Simultaneously certification confirms that the company executes all necessary requirements of the law of the Russian Federation and the highest international standards of work for objects of such class.
Buryatia and Selenginsky aimak of Mongolia intend to cooperate actively The President of Buryatia Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn and the Governor of Selenginsky aimak of Mongolia Mr. J. Erdenebat on an official visit to Buryatia, signed a protocol on trade economic and humanitarian cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Buryatia and the administration of Selenginsky aimak. The document established that the parties will cooperate for solving problems effectively using natural resources, joint working in agriculture, tourism development, improvement of the system of vocational education and humanitarian cooperation. Buryatia and Selenginsky aimak will cooperate in the efficient use of natural resources and preservation of the environment. It provides assistance in carrying out organizational and technical measures to prevent and fight cross-border fires, implementation of intergovernmental trans-border program "Scheme of complex use and protection of water resources of the river basin of Selenga”.
A meeting of the Expert Council on the Arctic region was held under the Chairman of the Federation Council A meeting of the Expert Council for the Arctic region was held under the Chairman of the Federation Council, it was dedicated to discussion of the draft of the report on “State, problems and legislative provision of the implementation of the "Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region up to 2020 and beyond". "Report is the main result of work of our Expert Council. We aimed at reflecting a complex of key problems of the Arctic region and suggestions of dealing with them"- the President of the Federation Council Sergei Mironov noted in his opening remarks. By his estimation, issues of implementation of State Policy in the Arctic require constant attention. And above all they require legislative support. Unfortunately, Russian Arctic Policy is fragmented. Decisions on its conduct are largely chaotic and represent a set of industrial approaches. This situation arose inter alia due to the lack of single federal executive body that implements the Policy of Russia in this vital region. While characterizing the legislative provision in this area Sergey Mironov stated that “the necessity to update the Arctic legislation becomes more and more severe year by year. The law "On the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation" hasn’t been adopted yet, there is no clear definition of the notion “Arctic territory”. Important sections reflecting the specific areas of the North and the Arctic are missing in the basic laws and codes on tax, fiscal and custom policies."
Treatment facilities in Lipetsk will be upgraded with the help of EBRD loan Modernization of the treatment facilities in Lipetsk will be carried out with the help of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) loan, said the press officer of the regional administration. "Corresponding agreement was signed by the Head of Administration of the Region Oleg Korolyov, the leaders of Lipetsk, a profile municipal enterprise and the Russian director of the EBRD, Alexander Orlov," - reported the interlocutor of the agency. He clarified that the total project cost is 368 million rubles, 311 million rubles of which is the amount of a bank loan. Work is scheduled to be carried out in three years. The realization of the project will contribute to reducing the environmental load on the Voronezh River within the boundaries of the regional center, improving the reliability of biological treatment and the quality of water purification.
Putin will hold a meeting on measures to improve environmental conditions Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will discuss changes of existing environmental laws proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which include inter alia, the establishment of economic incentives for industrial enterprises for the introduction of technologies aimed at protection of the environment. "A package of bills that affect the subject of management of protected natural areas, regulating the use of the Russian sea shelf and the protection of the sea environment from oil pollution, as well as clarifying the powers of authorities in the environmental sphere is at different stages of approval at the moment" - the press service of the government informs. The meeting, which will take place in eco-center "Vorobyovy Hills", will be attended by the Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev, Minister of Energy Sergei Shmatko, Head of the Ministry of Regional Development Viktor Basargin, as well as representatives of relevant ministries and agencies, the president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Businessmen Alexander Shokhin and experts in the sphere of environment.
Condition and quality of water supply in the Middle Urals are closely related to environment Water supply problems in the Sverdlovsk region will be solved with the help of a single long-term programme, which should unite already existing special programmes and concepts aimed at improving the environmental climate in the Middle Urals in one interrelated document. Governor Alexander Misharin instructed the regional government to develop this program at a regular meeting of the presidium dedicated to environmental security yesterday, - informs the department of information policy of the governor. Two important issues were brought up for presidium discussion - the environment and water supply of the Sverdlovsk region. According to the governor, they have a close relationship: the ecological situation directly affects the condition and quality of water supply and vice versa. At the beginning of the meeting, Governor Alexander Misharin stressed: "The issues of environmental security must be treated with the utmost responsibility." Despite the presence of a sufficient number of measures on environmental issues, Alexander Misharin intends to move to an integrated solution of the problem - the collection of existing programmes into a single whole, and the adoption of an appropriate legislation. In particular, during the meeting of presidium Governor instructed to develop a draft of a regional law on drinking water, which would regulate the responsibility of heads of municipalities and businesses for default of order at the water bodies. According to Alexander Misharin, in prospect among the priority directions of work should be: replacing of the outdated and demanding much water production technologies, all-around equipment of intakes with accounting systems, and also creation of effective economic mechanisms that encourage business to actively introduce advanced water-saving technologies, recycling and re-supply systems of water supply and reduction of unproductive water losses. In addition, another important direction of work is reducing the wear degree of hydraulic structures on the territory of the Sverdlovsk region and improving the reliability of their work.
Reasons of Neva pollution will be found out with the help of radar-location techniques On Tuesday specialists of the Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection will try to establish the presence of a walled tank with the remnants of fuel in the walls of Sverdlovskaya Quay with the help of radar-location and geodetic methods, the tank may be the cause of the oil slick on the surface of the Neva river, according to the press service of Rosprirodnadzor in the Northwestern region. Information of the appearance of oil slick in the area of Sverdlovskaya Quay came through Rosprirodnadzor from the Greenpeace activists at the beginning of March. During the inspection agency experts found out that oil gets into the waters of the river from the joints of the wall of the Quay. According to experts, oil slick does not have an adverse impact on the water condition in the Neva river. "The Committee of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection and Environmental Security will conduct a survey of the Quay without its breaking up on March 29," – it is reported in the media of the committee. Earlier, the press service reported that the Department experts sent an appeal to the city government, which explained that in order to identify and eliminate sources of pollution it is necessary to conduct a survey of the quay area, including work on its breaking up. However, later it was decided to examine the quay without breaking up.
It is suggested to measure the extent of pollution caused be wastewater discharged by enterprises in St. Petersburg Water pollution in St. Petersburg will be paid for at present – the city will be responsible for the emissions that must be removed at treatment plants, all other chemicals, that are not amenable to standard treatment, will be removed at the expense of those who poured it into the waters of the Neva river. To track down polluters SUE “Vodokanal St. Petersburg” has proposed to install special counters that will measure not only the volume of wastewater, but also the degree of its pollution at all factories of the Northern Capital. "We are ready to take two or three enterprises on which we will set these systems as an experiment by ourselves for free, and let's see what the the payments will be after " - the first deputy general director of SUE “Vodokanal St. Petersburg” Evgeniy Tselikov said. At present a draft bill under which the financial responsibility for water pollution in the city will be taken is being considered. All fines to be paid are planned to be transferred to a special account from which money will be directed right to finance the water protection measures.
Mongolia will help Russia to protect Lake Baikal from dirty runoff Experts-ecologists of Russia and Mongolia will develop a transboundary plan for water resource management aimed at reduction of amounts of pollution of Lake Baikal, the Head of Environmental Protection Department of United Nations Development Programme Natalia Olofinskaya reported. "Transboundary diagnostic analysis will be held within the framework of the project, it will identify key issues, the root and immediate reasons of environmental degradation. The project aims to describe the situation with the pollution of Lake Baikal and to compose a plan of joint reduction of industrial, agricultural and local settlements burdens, both in Russia and Mongolia. The first seminar within the framework of the project will be held in Ulan-Ude, from April, 9 to April, 11", - reported Olofinskaya. Although Baikal is in Russia, the lake basin (bailing area) has about 300 rivers and streams and it is located on the territory of Russia and Mongolia. According to environmentalists, economic growth in both countries often provokes uncontrolled expansion of industrial, agricultural and urban development in water protection zones. "We count to work on the project for a long-term, for at least 4-5 years. The problem of Baikal - is not a private program in Russia, as 20% of global freshwater resources is concentrated in it", - explained the representative of UNDP in Russia. Meanwhile, a federal target program "Protection of Lake Baikal and the socio-economic development of the Baikal area in 2011-2020” is operating at the moment. The program provides utilization and recycling of accumulated industrial waste, more efficient use of the recreational potential of the lake, preservation of endangered flora and fauna, development of the protection system of shorelines of natural areas and system of state environmental monitoring.
Sand mining at the Black Sea leads to a reduction of fish stocks Environmentalists, scientists and authorities of Anapa oppose mining of sand at the Black Sea, as it is detrimental to fisheries, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Russia reported. The Federal Subsoil Agency intends to conduct an auction on Thursday for the right to use the subsoil of federal significance, located at the Black Sea, for geological study of subsoil, exploration and production of construction sand. "Preliminary assessment of damage caused by the organization of sand mining in this region shows that the damage to fisheries can be about 4,2 billion rubles," - said Deputy Director of Scientific Work of Azov Research Institute of Fisheries Sergey Dudkin. It is assumed that production at the site, located off the coast of Krasnodar territory between the city of Anapa and Cape Iron Horn, will be put into practice by a bottom way in the area of about 450 square kilometers and is 20 million cubic meters. However, as indicated by environmentalists, territory of license area is 40% identical to Anapa banks, an area prohibited for production of living aquatic resources, in accordance with the rules of fishing for the Azov and Black Sea fisheries basin. "The question of creation of protected area, which includes Anapa bank, was brought up repeatedly. So far it has not been resolved positively. Now we are on the verge of solutions that can destroy the unique object of reproduction of biological resources of the Black Sea "- said senior coordinator of the regional branch of the WWF« Russian Caucasus"Roman Mnatsekanov.Federal authorities of Anapa resort also oppose to large-scale sand mining, which can lead to an imbalance of the processes of erosion and accumulation of sand masses that secure the beaches of Anapa, Vityazevskaya and Bugaz bay-bars. This, in its turn, can lead to a washout of the material of beaches, erosion of the bay-bars, and as a consequence, the destruction of the recreational infrastructure of the resort, reducing its attractiveness and fullness.
22 March - World Water Day Today the planet celebrates the World Water Day. About 70 percent of the globe is covered with water, with only two and a half percent that is suitable for potable nonsaline surface water. According to scientists, approximately 35 million square kilometers of fresh water are concentrated on the planet, but two-thirds of this volume is concentrated in glaciers, ice and permafrost, about ten million square kilometers are underground and only two thousand square kilometers of water fall within the proportion of all the rivers of the Earth. In addition, water resources are unequally distributed across the planet and about one billion people still lack access to safe drinking water. Cape Town has become the Capital of the World Water Day 2011. Initiative of the World Water Day was proposed in 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The World Water Day has been celebrated every year since 1993. Nations were suggested to hold activities dedicated to preservation and development of water resources this day in the UN General Assembly resolution. The General Assembly requested the UN Secretary-General to concentrate the relevant annual UN events on a specific topic.
The Director of the International Cooperation Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia Department Nuritdin Inamov had an appointment with the Head of the Eastern Europe department of the Federal Ministry of Germany Jurgen Kaynhorst. The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation reported that the parties discussed participatory projects on irrigation of peat lands and sanation of the bed of Klyazma in the Moscow region, and also problems of the carbon balance restoring in terms of the study and protection of forests in the region of the Bikin river (Primorsky kray). This year irrigation of peat lands is planned in the Moscow region within the framework of Russian-German project in order to prevent fire dangerous situation of summer, 2010. The priority tasks of the project are: complete inventory of peat land sites in the region, development of technical projects on the construction of hydraulic structures at the sites planned for irrigation, creation of a monitoring system at irrigated areas. It is expected to use German experience and technology during the realization of corresponding operations. In the course of the meeting the parties discussed issues of project funding and agreed to establish a Coordinating Committee. The second project, which was considered by the meeting participants - sanation of the segment of the Klyazma river in Schyolkovo, Moscow region. It is planned to remove silt deposits of the river in the area 10 km long. The parties agreed to form a working group in the new line-up, the German experts plan to visit the site in the near future, the seminar to exchange experiences will be held. The meeting was also attended by the Head of Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage Amirkhan Amirkhanov, deputy chairman of the Moscow Region Government Nikolay Pishchev, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Moscow Region Government Sergey Gildenskiold and others.
In 2012 the Department of Water Resources plans to receive funds for clean water facilities from the federal budget. First and foremost, it concerns the system of urban lakes in Yakutsk, says the head of department Innokenty Bochkarev. Speaking at a board meeting of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, he recalled that a significant amount of work to clean up lakes and provide settlement of embankments was done previously. At present the list of ecosystems of Tuymaada Valley that are in need of restoration includes more than 170 objects, such as Lake Ytyk-Kyuel, Sergelyakh, Soldatskoe, Solenoe, Hatyng-Yuryakh, Beloe, Saysary, Teploe, Taloe, Homustah and others. According to the Head of Department, this issue is very important from the point of using basins as alternative sources of water of the city of Yakutsk and its suburbs in case of contamination of the Lena River during emergencies at the existing hydraulic structures. "In terms of Yakutsk security question of alternative sources of water is not elaborated. The city will not be ready for the full use of groundwater for drinking purposes soon: it is necessary to drill wells to a depth of 200 meters and more, and also the usage of expensive devices for water purification from the excess of lithium, fluorine and sodium, "- he said. He specified that the basic condition of restoration of water basins is to end the discharge of pollutants. At the same time it is intended to continue work to increase the flowage of urban lakes and their mechanical cleaning.
Department of Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage in the Northwest Federal District sent an address on necessary investigation of Sverdlovskaya Embankment near the Neva River pollution with oil products to the Government of St. Petersburg. "The oil drained into the waters of the river from the embankement wall joints; it is viewed from the discharge point. To find out the exact source of contamination, it is necessary to disassemble a part of the embankment - the press-service agency reported on Wednesday. - We have sent to the Government of St. Petersburg an address on necessary dismantling the waterfront area." The results of water samples inspection are forthcoming from Vyborg TPP, they will show whether pollutants are in its wastewater, a spokesman for the department said. St. Petersburg prosecutor office reported that the issue of the Neva pollution near the Sverdlovskaya embankment is under control of environment prosecutor office of Northern capital. SUE “Pilarn” engaged in the liquidation of pollution in the Neva River reported that experts neutralize the stain appearing on the surface of water with chemical reagents on a daily basis. "There are our bonds, pollution is being neutralized with the sorbent. Flow comes from the pipe, but the slick of oil in the area of pollution is thin"- said spokesman. On March, 1 St. Petersburg department of Greenpeace Russia informed that a discharge of petroleum products is recorded in the precincts of the Northern capital in the Neva river, and the EMERCOM indicated that the contamination could be caused by snow melting.
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation will submit documents on the improvement of Russian environment legislation to the government during this month, reported the Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev in the course of inter-regional conference of the United Russia Party. "We're going over to new principles of valuation based on the best available existing technologies that are applied in the EU. And we are ready to bring in these documents to the Russian government over period of a month after we will have finished the harmonization of them " - he said. According to Trutnev, firstly, it is suggested to introduce a system of economic incentives for companies in Russia. "Those companies that will upgrade the production or build new enterprises on the basis of best available existing technologies, that is, with the least damage to the environment, will receive all possible benefits from the state" - he said. Secondly, companies that will not go over to new technologies, "will be subjects to grave fines from 2016 on."
The coming flood water and the program of Volga recovery became the main subjects of the talking between vice-governor of Astrakhan Oblast K.A. Markelov and the head of the Federal Agency of the Water Resources M.V. Seliverstova. Every year the spring flood water in Astrakhan Oblast may turn the real disaster because of too small quantity of water. To prevent the undesirable consequences of the flood water, the regional government has formed the suggestions on the optimal outflow of it due to the hydrological situation in the storage pools of the Volga-Kama coordinated hydroelectric system. The schedule of the water outflow had been already drawn up, but it requires the adjustment. The regional services will have a possibility to make the necessary changes after 20 March only, when the final forecast is received. According to preliminary data, the level of the snow is 20 % higher than the standard, so the coming flood water is appropriate both for farmers and fishermen. As to the decision of the federal authorities, according to the words of the vice-governor Konstantin Markelov, the Agency will take into account the interests of the Astrakhan Oblast by the adjustment of the outflow flood water schedule in the lower Volga. The positive answer was given in connection with the allocation of the finances on the dredging and cleaning of the catch water drains. The Agency is ready to consider the possibility of the extra finances remission in case of the timely preparation of all the necessary documents by the regional government. In addition, at the meeting a large step up the fulfillment of the President Dmitriy Medvedev assignment on the question of the recovery of the water system of the Volga delta was made. In the middle of the March already the session will be held; at this session the objects of recovery works will be determined and the dates of the works implementation to 2020.
Government of the Irkutsk region will sign an agreement with the Federal Water Resources Agency on allocation of subvention to Priangarye in 2011 for performing channel-controlling works and shore protection, as the Governor — Chairman of the Government of the Irkutsk region Dmitriy Mezentsev reported. The Governor noticed, that subventions at amount of 41.248 mln roubles will be allocated from the federal budget for channel-controlling works on the river Uda and channel Zastryanka near the town of Nizhneudinsk and for channel cleaning, dredging and shore protection on the Olkha river in the Shelekhov district. In 2009-2010 in the Irkutsk region several water protection arrangements were carried out and prevented the damage at amount of one billion roubles. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the region confirmed the list of the rivers sections, according to which 100 settlements require protection measures. More than ten projects have already been developed.
Removal of the mazut spill, which occurred during bunkering of the tanker at the quay of the Kaliningrad fishery sea port, should be completed by the end of the day, as the head of the state sea rescue coordination centre Vitaliy Tsykhotskiy asserted. Mazut spill occurred during bunkering of the tanker at the quay 2 of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Kaliningrad fishery sea port” on February 28, 2011. As a result, 20 square meters of ice were polluted. “Approximately, about 250 liters of mazut spilt on the tanker deck and a part of mazut got on the ice. At the moment, specialists are removing the polluted ice and cutting it with petrol-powered saws,” — Mr Tsykhotskiy said. Specialists of the Baltic Basin Emergency and Rescue Department perform the ice cleaning. After they have picked the polluted ice, they will remove the rest of the fuel by hands or with the special skimmer.
Today the head of the regional parliament, the chairman of the working group of the party project “Clear water” in the Murmansk region Evgeniy Nikora takes part in the parliamentary hearings in the Federation Council. In the focus of attention of the participants of the hearings is the draft federal law “On water supply and channeling”, which was prepared by order of the President of the RF Dmitry Medvedev for the purpose of provision of the regular and qualified water supply and channeling, environment protection and improvement of the living standards of the population. In his speech, prepared together with the working group of the party project “Clear water”, Evgeniy Nikora underlined the importance of the discussed draft law. The speaker noticed that adoption of the law will allow increasing the quality of the drinking water, decreasing the negative effect on the water objects by way of creating effective mechanisms of funding of construction and modernization of the treatment facilities. Particularly, one of the principles of the draft law is the “pollutant pays” principle, which we support, as Evgeniy Nikora underlined, because the current problem of the water canals is the fee for the pollutants discharge into the environment. Today the situation is that one person pollutes, another pays. Speaking of the situation in the Murmansk region, Evgeniy Nikora underlined the necessity of modernization and reconstruction of the water supply and channeling objects. This was discussed on 18 February 2011 at the working group meeting on implementation of the United Russia Party project “Clear water” in the Murmansk region.
Administration of the Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District confirmed its intention to take part in funding of construction of the first hydro system on Irtysh in the area of Omsk. By order of the Government of the RF the system will appear near the village of Krasnaya Gorka on 1814 km from the place of confluence of the rivers Irtysh and Ob. Certain agreement on degree of participation of the administration of the Omsk region will be reached after determination of the contractor and the beginning of construction. Earlier, the governor of the Omsk region Leonid Polezhaev suggested dividing the expenses for construction between the three regions, via the territory of which the river Irtysh flows — the Omsk and Tyumen regions and the Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District. Administration of the Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District was the first to support the suggestion. Fall of water level in the river Irtysh is caused by rapidly growing water intake on the territory of China and Kazakhstan. The Irtysh river remains the only great river in the world, that doesn’t have a intergovernmental agreement on transboundary division of waters. French and Russian experts assert that implementation of large-scale projects on the territory of neighbouring countries in 20-30 years may lead to stoppage of the river flow within the Russian-Kazakhstan borders.
The Head of the Federal Water Resources Agency Selivyorstova Marina Valeryevna will take part in the annual conference, devoted to the discussion of the marine environment issues.
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Nature Management and Environment Evgeniy Tugolukov took part in the session of the 2nd Parliamentary forum of the North-European countries partnership “Northern Dimension” (Tromse city, Norway). In his speech at the session “Northern Dimension and Environmental Partnership” Evgeniy Tugolukov noticed, that the territory of the countries, forming the partnership “Northern Dimension”, preserves unique biodiversity and great potential of natural resources, it is the very place where the last virgin forest in Europe grows. “The participants of the partnership in their activity should take account, that practically all alterations of the national legislation in the environmental sphere will have a transboundary effect for the “Northern Dimension” countries. This position should be a basis for the fruitful and mutually beneficial collaboration between the North Europe countries legislators”, — he underlined. Evgeniy Tugolukov said that the State Duma pays special attention to the issues of the legal carrying out of the international obligations of the Russian Federation in sphere of environmental security in the Arctic and the Baltic Sea region and expects the same actions from its partners. During the session the participants discussed the latest legislative innovations in sphere of environmental security, which are planned to be considered by the Russian Parliament.
Situation on the river Padovka of the Samara region remains complicated. Some weeks ago the staff of the Privolzhsky Territorial Administration for Hydrometeorological and Environmental Monitoring announced about an extremely high level of the river water pollution. In the nearest future Baltika Breweries will stop disposing waste water into Padovka in spite of the fact that it is properly purified. Such decision was made in order to minimize the damage caused to the river. Waste water from the factory will flow to the “Samaravodokanal” Municipal Enterprise via the system of the interregional pressure automatic flow tank. Today specialists search for a technical way of implementing the idea. Situation on the Municipal Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal “Volzhsky” that throws non-purified sewage effluents into Padovka, is even more complicated. Inspectors of the State Environmental Control of the ministry repeatedly ordered its administration to correct the violation. However, nothing changed.
Annual investigation of the water condition of transboundary rivers in the Primorsky Krai have being conducted for four years. In the course of monitoring the expeditionary works of sampling and hydrological measurements on the river Razdolnaya in the dam location Sanchagou — Poltavka and on the Khanka Lake — in the source of the river Sungacha in the dam location Lunvanmyao — Novomikhaylovka are being performed. This year the specialists are to take the water samples and basic measurements on the rivers: learn water level and temperature, direction and speed of the current, ice thickness and other characteristics. According to the recent monitoring results of the the transboundary river Razdolnaya, its water condition was estimated as “dirty”. Besides, the water quality in the source of the river Sungacha changed from “polluted” in 2007 to “very much polluted” in 2008 and “dirty” in 2009-2010. Ecologists assert that the problem of transboundary rivers pollution is urgent in conditions of intensive economical activity of the population and industrial plants in China. According to the published information, the province Heilongjiang, which borders on the Amur region, Khabarovsk Krai and Primorsky Krai, disposes over 11 billion untreated industrial and household effluents into the water of the Amur basin.
Administration of the Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District — Yugry made the decision to create an electronic passport in the region. “Electronic passportization is necessary to inform the population and government authorities about the environment conditions and security on the territory of the district and to prepare the target programmes”, — the report informs. The document will contain information on polygons of domestic waste, treatment facilities and dangerous objects, situated within the limits of municipal districts. “Earlier, we introduced passportization on paper media. Today all the users of natural resources may go to the website and forward this information to us online. We are aware of everything happening on the territory of the district, we know where and what waste is fixed and besides, we may check the figures for last years”, - director of the district department of environment Boris Kostyukhin says.
On the lake Kotokel of the Baikal district of Buryatia bottom dredging, costing 1,4 mln roubles, will be conducted for the purpose of recovery of the lake and struggle against “Haff disease”, as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of Buryatia Erdeni Tsydenov reported. “Cases of infection with “Haff disease” have been recorded on Kotokel since April 2008. That year a lot of fish, birds and cats died. Citizens of nearest inhabited localities also fell ill: 16 men suffered and one man died. The last case was recorded in the Baikal district of Buryatia in 2010”, — Tsydenov reported. In the result of increase of water supply of the lake Kotokel depletion of the lake will be prevented and processes of self-purification will continue.
The Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko calls the North-European countries for working out common strict demands and restrictions in the sphere of environmental protection. The meeting of the ministers concerning collaboration issues between five countries of the North Europe (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Island and Denmark), including three autonomous territories (The Aaland Islands, Greenland and the Faroe Islands) was held in St. Petersburg. “We are all bound by the Baltic Sea and the same environmental problems. Today strict international demands for environmental protection should be worked out for future generations”, — Matviyenko claimed. The Governor considers, that experts of the countries work insufficiently on the environmental problems solutions and “don’t reach the appropriate level of collaboration” in this field. Matviyenko gives the positive example of such collaboration: one of the largest projects in the sphere of the Baltic Sea treatment — construction of the South-Western treatment facilities in the North Capital. This project was jointly implemented by Russia and Finland.
Public expert group organized on WWF’s initiative considered the project documentation on Shtokman field development and came to conclusion, that the project needs considerable improvement and repeated environmental expertise, as press service of WWF Russia reports. “The experts made over one hundred and fifty remarks to the project. We hope, that the conclusions will become the impulse to correction work”, — the coordinator of oil and gas projects, WWF Russia, The Barents Sea Department Vadim Krasnopolsky said. He asserts that the ecologists expect the company “Shtokman Development AG” to improve the project and present it again for the state environmental expertise. The group of experts, consisting of eight scientists — professors, doctors and candidates of science - drew the conclusion, that the project documentation “is not properly worked out”. For instance, the risk of the marine pipeline damage from the exposure is underrated, the risk of hydrates presence in the Shtokman Gas Condensate Field is not taken into account and there are no assessments of the negative effect produced by polluting substances, thrown into the atmosphere by the ships, on the marine environment and living organisms. In the project there is no sufficient information for evaluation of the current state of the sea birds population in the mining area, the engineering and environmental survey in the most important seasons for the living organisms are incomplete. The experts assert that the damage to the fish resources is improperly calculated, the assessment of the acoustic effect on the sea mammals and the calculation of the appropriate compensating payments are absent, there is no assessment of condensate spill and methane emission risk. “We have to admit that this large international project has a considerable number of evident environmental faults. Shareholders of “Shtokman Development AG” should be aware of the responsibility for implementation of such hasty conclusions, as we are speaking of the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic, which will be recovering for many years”, - Mr Krasnopolsky notices.
Minister of Natural Resources Yuriy Trutnev will take part in the conference. At the plenary session director of the Department of state policy and regulation in sphere of environment protection Rinat Gizatulin will report “On prospects of development of environmental policy of Russia”. Besides, representatives of the Federal Water Resources Agency will also take part in the conference.
Ministry of Natural Resources of the RF will elect the director of the “Russian Arctic” national park, as director of the Department of state policy and regulation in sphere of environment protection of the ministry Rinat Gizatulin reported to RIA Novosti. The “Russian Arctic” national park is situated within the boundaries of the “Novaya Zemlya” municipal district in the Archangelsk region and the administration is located in the city of Arkhangelsk. The national park includes the northern territory of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Here the largest colonies of birds and rookeries of walruses on the Northern hemisphere and one of the most important focuses of reproduction of polar bears of the Kara-Barents sea population is situated. Obligatory requirements to the candidate are higher education (biological, geographical, environmental), experience of occupational work in the Arctic and leadership experience. A representative of the ministry asserts that there are two recommendations for candidates from the governor of the Arkhangelsk region and A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. According to the order of the Government of the RF, the tasks of the state budgetary institution “Russian Arctic” national park” in 2011 are preservation and recovery of the unique and typical natural complexes and objects, located on the territory of the national park. Besides, the institution will conduct environmental monitoring, work out and introduce scientific methods of environment protection, create conditions for regulated tourism and rest and perform educating work. Maximum number of workers of the institution will amount at 47 people on the condition that it will not lead to increase of the total number of workers of the Ministry of Natural Resources or grow of the whole labour compensation fund.
Another two natural areas of preferential protection of regional significance have appeared in St. Petersburg. A state natural sanctuary “Sestroretskoye marsh” is created in the resort region on the territory of Sestroretsk and the villages of Beloostrov and Pesochniy. The natural complex is announced to be a natural monument. “Sestroretskoye marsh” will become the largest territory of preferential protection in the city. Total area of the sanctuary is 1,9 thousand hectares. It is represented by a hydrologic system connected to the Gulf of Finland — lake Razliv, lakes Sestra and Chyornaya and numerous marshes. In the sanctuary there are deposits of medicinal clay, ancient marine terraces and various kinds of flora and fauna. Regime of a territory of preferential protection is established in the sanctuary — construction, timber cutting, earth works and firing are prohibited here. Committee for environment security provision monitors the execution of these demands. Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko also gave the committee an order to prepare a document on tightening of administrative measures of punishment for breaking the environmental rules. In contrast to “Sestroretskoye marsh”, “Petrovskiy pond” will become the smallest territory of preferential protection in St. Petersburg. The total area of this natural complex is 3,1 hectares, the area of the pond is 0,5 hectares. However, there are many species of plant, including water plant, here. Besides, the history of the Petrovskiy pond is a part of the history of the city. It appeared on the place of the famous “Thunder Stone”. In the 18th century this huge rock was delivered to the Senate square and became a pedestal for the Bronze Horseman. On the whole, thanks to opening of the sanctuary “Sestrotetskoye marsh” and natural monument “Petrovskiy pond” the total area of the territories of preferential protection in St. Petersburg increased more than twice. Today the protected zones make 5% of the area of the city.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of the RF Semyon Levi submitted the chapter “Environment” of the initial memorandum on joining of Russia to OECD to the Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, as Ministry of Natural Resources reported on Monday. “Semyon Levi presented the position of Russia concerning the normative acts of OECD for environmental issues. According to the results of the meeting the report of the Russian delegation was adopted and the decision about transition to the next working phase — preparation of questions of OECD and answers of the RF in certain aspects of environmental policy — was made”, — the ministry reports. Deputy Secretary General of the Organization Richard Boucher, director of the board of directors for environmental policy and chemicals of OECD Simon Upton, representatives of 34 member countries of OECD and representatives of the countries-watchers took part in the special closed session of the committee of OECD on environmental policy. Representatives of the member countries and secretariat of OECD underlined the high level and readiness of the Russian delegation to the open dialogue and the high quality of the presented materials and expressed support and interest in joining of Russia to OECD, as the ministry reports.
On February 17 the Committee of the Federation Council for natural resources and environment protection together with Commissions of the Federation Council for natural monopolies and national naval policy will hold a “round table” on “Eco-friendly technical and technological solutions in oil and gas fields exploitation in the Barents Sea”. Chairman of the Federation Council Sergey Mironov will open the meeting. Current intensive exploration of oil and gas fields on shelves of the seas and inland waters is a strong factor of negative impact on water environment and biological resources. Over 2/3 of the producing fields are in the zone of high biological productivity and active fishery. Risk of disruption of ecological balance in the Arctic zone with its low level of natural biological cleaning is especially great. Vulnerability of the environment of these aquatoriums needs legislative recognition of special demands in sphere of subsoil management. Participants will discuss issues of improvement of legislation on subsoils, technical and technological solutions in of oil and gas fields exploration on the continental shelf of the RF and measures for environment security provision. Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council for natural resources and environment protection Viktor Orlov will hold the “round table”.
Water reserves in storage basins of the European Russia, particularly on the Volga-Kama chain of power plants restored to the norm after the fall caused by abnormally hot summer 2010, as head of the Federal Service of Russia for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Environment Alexander Frolov reported on Wednesday. “Due to the draught we had extremely unfavourable conditions. The Volga river and Volga-Kama chain shallowed almost halfway. Today due to autumn heavy rains water content restored almost to the norm. It is a good sign”, — Mr Frolov said at the session of the collegium of the Federal Service of Russia for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Environment. He added that meteorologists expect strong spring flood. “According to our assessments of snow storage, snow reserves exceed the norm by 20-30% on the European territory. We start preparing for the flood”, — said the head of the Federal Service of Russia for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Environment. He added that on March 13 a tentative forecast of flood will be made.
Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service will check Baikal pulp-and-paper plant in April 2011, as head of the service Vladimir Kirillov reported on Friday. In summer 2010 the environmental prosecutor’s office together with the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service detected that Baikal pulp-and-paper plant exceeded air-emission standards. Besides, the plant exceeded the concentration of polluting substance in sewage waters flowing to Baikal. The prosecutor’s office detected that phenol concentration was exceeded 68 times, turpentine — 1,2 times, oil products — 1,5 times, lignin — 3-15 times, trawling products — 6 times. However, Mr Kirillov said that in 2010 the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service created in the city of Baikalsk a special department for state regulation in sphere of protection of lake Baikal.
Joint analysis of the WWF of Russia and the non-governmental partnership “Transparent World” detected that the plans of BP and “Rosneft” for oil extraction in the Southern part of the Kara Sea may threaten natural areas of preferential protection of the region, as the Barents Sea Department of WWF of Russia reports. “It becomes clear from the provided map that the licensed areas are located near several protected territories and partially cross the borders of the “Russian Arctic” national park and the Yamal region reserve”, — the Department informs. As the Russian oil company reported previously, “Rosneft” and BP will jointly work out three Vostochno-Prinovozemelsky licensed areas with the total area of about 125 thousand square km in the Southern part of the Kara Sea to the East of the Novaya Zemlya island. Licenses for areas were passed to “Rosneft” in November 2010 for the period until November 2040. According to the estimations of ecologists, the total area of coincidence of the territory of oil extraction and natural areas of preferential protection amounts at 45 square km. “We are informed that BP drew a lesson from the accident in the Gulf of Mexico. However, BP seems to have underestimated environmental risks creating the alliance with “Rosneft”, otherwise it should have refused from participation in the project that violates the law on natural areas of preferential protection”, — head of the programme for environmental policy of the oil and gas section of WWF of Russia Alexey Knizhnikov says.
First hydro system in the Siberia will appear on Irtysh Main Department of State Expertise of Russia gave a favourable conclusion of the project documentation and confirmed authenticity of cost estimation of the dam construction on Irtysh. The works will start this year. The federal budget will allocate 335 mln roubles for this project. Large-scale construction near the Krasnaya Gorka will start in 2011 and finish by 2014. Omsk citizens decided to build a dam because of emergency circumstances: Irtysh is fastly shallowing. Volumes of water consumption are growing in Kazakhstan. Irrigating channels are being currently constructed behind the Chinese Wall. Thus, little water from the river will flow to the Siberia. By reason of low water level the river looses its capability of self-rectifying and causes trouble for Omsk sailors. — Last year vessels cruised half loaded not to go aground — head of the transportation and navigation service of the fleet of the Irtysh steamship line Vyacheslav Melnichuk explains. The shallowing river causes damage to the agricultural sector that loses fertile inundable lands (Source - Rossiyskaya Gazeta, North-West)
WWF calls the regions situated in the Amur basin for fulfillment of the order of the President on preparation of the Federal Target Programme for protection and environmentally sustainable management of water and biological resources of Amur. On February 2, on the World day of wetlands and on the day of celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention press conferences and round tables devoted to “St. Valentine’s Day” will be held in reserves and capitals of the Amur River regions. This two-year campaign started on the Far East last year by the order of the Amur River Coordination Committee. All five subjects of the Russian Federation, situated in the great river basin, started general information campaign to draw attention to the issues of preservation of the ecosystems of the Amur river basin. On May 27, 2010 the session of the panel of the State Council took place. Issues of reforming of the system of state management in sphere of environment protection were raised at the meeting. On the initiative of the Governor of the Khabarovsk krai Vyacheslav Shport the Amur issue was considered at the session. The President Dmitry Medvedev adopted the list of orders to the Government. Vladimir Putin in collaboration with the executive government of the RF subjects should prepare a project of the Federal Target Programme, providing implementation of the complex of measures for protection and environmentally sustainable management of water and biological resources of the Amur river basin. Today the regions are preparing the joint project of such programme that will include issues of social and economic development of the basin and issues of protection of the nature of the unique river, one of the four largest rivers without dams in the world.
Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation Yuriy Trutnev adopted the plan of norm-creating work of the ministry, according to which 26 draft laws and draft decrees of the Russian Government and departmental enactments will be worked out in 2011. “On the legislative level issues concerning taking out powers of the RF subjects in sphere of environment protection and natural resources management in case of their improper performance, will be resolved. In sphere of environment, enactments concerning provision of fulfillment of international obligations of the Russian Federation in sphere of environment protection, air emission inventory and keeping a cadastral register of natural areas of preferential protection, will be worked out. The plan also provides adoption of the order of organization and implementation of arrangements for environment security provision including training of specialists in this field. Besides, removal of administrative barriers in process of submission of water resources to exploitation and regulation of fulfillment of transferred powers in sphere of water relations by the RF subjects, will also be conducted.
In Priangarie the programme “Environment protection of the Irkutsk region” for 2011-2015 is worked out with amount of financing 264,8 mln roubles, as Minister of Natural Resources Olga Gaikova reported at the collegium of Ministry on Friday. “In the course of the programme implementation, the gross air emissions in the Slyudyansky region where the Baikal pulp-and-paper plant is located, shortened more than by 5 thousand tons. Besides, reduction of the volume of unauthorized landfills on the territory of the Olkhonsky region on the Baikal coast, is also planned. Within the framework of the programme 220 tons of inapplicable pesticides and toxic chemicals will be liquidated”, — Mrs Gaikova said. She also noticed that in 2010 the regional programme for environment protection that functioned in the region for 5 years, was completed. Mrs Gaikova reported that volumes of pollutants discharge into water objects decreased almost three times, which is more than it was planned (over 32 thousand tons instead of 11 scheduled). Besides, volumes of dirty discharge also decreased by 38,5 mln cubic meters.
In connection to navigation expansion in the Arctic, prohibition on usage of high viscosity oil products on vessels for the purpose of decrease of potential threat for environment is necessary. The suggestion is fixed in the new report of the European Parliament, as BarentsObserver informs. It is about masut that is considered environmentally more hazardous than other types of diesel fuel because it dissolves very slowly, especially in cold waters and the Arctic coastlands. European Parliament underlines the utmost importance of security measures of development of the new — arctic — trade route between Europe and Asia. 2010 was the breakthrough year in commercial navigation on the Northern Sea Route. A number of cargo vessels and even transit foreign bulk carriers followed this route to Asia. This year further expansion of navigation on the Northern Sea Route is expected. European Parliament makes reference to analogous document prohibiting masut usage in the Antarctic. It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and will come into force on August 1. The European Parliament recommended the European Commission and Council to coordinate approaches of the European Community and EC countries to the issue of the Arctic navigation security with IMO and the Arctic Council.
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation plans to tighten control over security of hydrocarbon deposits development on the Russian shelf, as Director of the Department of State Policy in sphere of Geology and Subsoil Management of the Ministry of Natural Resources Denis Khramov reported. He noticed that the security issue became more important after the accident in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. “We will tighten control over security, including the Arctic projects. Respective orders are given to the Federal Service for Natural Resources Management Supervision”, — Mr Khramov asserted. He said that the Ministry of Natural Resources coordinated and submitted to the government the draft law on creation of abandonment fund at the expense of subsoil users, necessity of working out an oil spill response plan, insurance against risks and need for services and means of oil spill response. Mr Khramov pointed out that the sums that should be forwarded to the companies for provision of shelf projects security will depend on the range of their activity.
The Kurgan region will receive over 64 mln roubles of federal subsidies and subventions for capital repair of hydro technical constructions and clearing of Trans-Urals rivers and lakes. The major part of the means — 34 mln roubles — will be invested into capital repair of coast protection of the lower race of the Kurgan hydro system. 2,5 mln roubles will be allocated for completion of development of projects for clearing of the Boldintsevo lake and the Bitevka river. Both objects, being decorations of the Trans-Urals, are in depress condition. One of the city objects where works are close to completion is the Chyornaya river that flows on the territory of the regional center in the Ryabkovo village and in Beyond the lake micro district. Governor of the Kurgan region Oleg Bogomolov intends to keep issues of improvement of the Chyornaya river under control. The respective orders are given to the Department of Natural Resources and administration of Kurgan.
Green technologies are among most promising economic segments, in which the most high growth rate is expected in 2011, as it is noticed in the research of Grant Thornton International. “As the global economy comes out of crisis and the government supports the environment, this sector may show double-rated growth in a number of countries, such as Great Britain, Israel, India and China”, — the audit and consulting company informs. The international research of business was carried out in 2010 among 7400 businessmen from 36 countries of the world, including 160 entrepreneurs from the sphere of eco-friendly technologies. Over one third of the interviewed businessmen consider lack of circulating capital, long-term money and high cost of financing to be the main obstacles in development of the sector and only 26% of the businessmen complained for diminution in the demand for their goods and services. In December 2010 in Kazan within the framework of the exhibition “Energetics. Efficient use of resources” Grant Thornton International interviewed 300 representatives of Russian companies. The results showed that in Russia prices for energy resources are considered to be the main factor influencing the introduction of energy-efficient technologies (38%). The state policy (29%) and necessity of the cost saving (18%) take the second and third places according to importance. Only 4% of the interviewed feel pressure from customers. Almost one third of the interviewed believe that the future of the alternative energy in Russia is connected to development of wind energy (28%). The same number of respondents (28%) consider biofuel to be the main alternative source of energy.
In St. Petersburg the third phase of construction of the main sewage collector is completed, as the press service of the Governor Valentina Matvienko reported. The Governor underlined that construction of continuation of the main collector is a complicated hydrotechnical project that is of great significance for the megapolis. The main collector will receive effluents of dwelling houses and enterprises of seven districts of the city. According to the State Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal of St. Petersburg”, after the new capacities were put into operation, daily effluents of dirt into Neva decreased by 57 thousand cubic meters and the level of sewage water treatment in St. Petersburg reached 93%. “It is improvement of environmental situation in the city and the citizens’ health. After the collector is constructed in 2012, the level of sewage water treatment will amount at 96%, which exceeds the demand of Helsinki Commission for Protection of the Baltic Sea. St. Petersburg will become the most enco-friendly city of Europe”, — Valentina Matvienko announced.
Ministry of Natural Resources adopted lists of objects having negative influence on the environment and subject to state environmental control in the Russian Federation. The respective orders to 83 subjects of the country were signed by the Minister of Natural Resources Yuriy Trutnev. According to the adopted documents, over 80 thousand objects having negative influence on areas of special protection, objects included into the list of world cultural and natural heritage, natural complexes of Russia and objects falling within the international treaties and located on the continental shelf of the country or within the limits of the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation, are subject to state environmental control. “As lists of these objects are adopted, powers of the federal center and regions in the process of implementation of state environmental control, standardization and permitting activities in sphere of environment protection are clearly demarked. This will lead to rising of efficiency of nature protection regulation and to stimulation of decrease of negative influence on all ecosystems”, — Director of the Department of Environment Protection of the Ministry of Natural Resources Rinat Gizatulin reports.
State Duma may consider the draft law according to which the atmosphere air is treated as a natural resource and manufacturing enterprises should pay for its usage in technological processes. The draft law “On amendments to the federal law “On atmosphere air protection” and certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation” was submitted by the Lipetsk Regional Council of Deputies to the Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament and then to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources for endorsement. The draft law provides amendments to the second part of the Tax Code concerning payment for air usage in production by legal entities and for permission for its usage. Amendments including standards and maximum allowed amount of atmosphere air usage by legal entities and payment for it will be made to the law “On atmosphere air protection”. The authors of the draft law believe that this law will create economic conditions for improvement of technological processes and decrease of greenhouse gas emissions.
Rosneft and BP agreed to carry out joint implementation of the projects in the Arctic shelf of Russia on the deposit sections with 5 billion tons of oil and 10 trillion cubic meters of gas. According to the signed agreements, the participants of the project will create a joint center of arctic technologies in St. Petersburg, as Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft Igor Sechin reported. “The shelf development will be conducted with due account for nature protection” — he noticed. He added that the center will function in collaboration with leading Russian and foreign research institutes. Within the frames of the agreement a center of mobile response and monitoring of the processes of oil extraction for assessment of environment pollution will appear. President of Rosneft Eduard Hudainatov underlined that environment security of oil and gas extraction will be provided with due account for BP experience acquired in the result of oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
On Thursday in Murmansk heads of the energy company TGC-1 (Territorial Generating Company-1) and the Barents Sea Department of WWF signed an agreement aimed at development of environmental education, prevention of degradation of the natural environment and preservation of biological diversity of the region, as press secretary of TGC-1 Ilya Vinogradov reported. In the Murmansk region it is the first agreement signed by one of the leading green organizations and a large energy company. The document starts the permanent collaboration of power engineers and environmental specialists, provides joint educational programmes, projects, conferences, seminars and round table discussions in nature protection with attraction of other interested parties. Environmental specialists and representatives of public organizations will be given an opportunity to visit the objects of TGC-1 at the Kola Peninsula. Increase of the equipment security level is one of considerable parts of expenses of many companies of the Kola Peninsula. In 2010 TGC-1 carried out modernization of Rajakoski Hydro-Electric Power Station belonging to the chain of Paz Hydro-Electric Power Stations: new systems of oil emergency discharge from main transformers were introduced, which allowed to increase the environment security level of the objects of TGC-1 at the river Paz. At the Nizhne-Tulomskaya Hydro-Electric Power Station the company provides functioning of the unique fish way that is considered by many Russian and foreign scientists to be the best in the world.
Chairman of the Supreme Council of the “United Russia”, Chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov commented on the directions of work of the Party in 2011 in sphere of environment security provision: “Today the mankind faces new dangers. A lot of specialists forecast strengthening of these factors: for instance, in sphere of environment. Climate change is a perfect example. Today it is definitely clear that these processes are capable of changing our environment and creating new contradictions between the countries and form challenges in sphere of security. The degree of influence of the mankind on the processes of warming is disputable. However, we should admit that the mankind rarely follows principles of stable development. There are a lot of environmental mistakes both in our country, — for example, some plants and cities built in the North, — and abroad: remember the situation with exploitation of bioresources around Japan. In all these cases people, living today, and future generations become victims of incorrect management decisions made in the past. These results are worth reflecting on. Today the state of our society is quite different. It is much easier to find the information necessary to make a decision. Besides, it is easier to receive public opinion about the government decisions in sphere of environment. Thus, creation of the system, stimulating new approaches to management for stable development of the Russian territories should become one of the priorities in 2011. We should estimate existing issues and solutions in this sphere dispassionately and rely on objective information and experts’ opinion. Our Party project “Russian Environment” will be the part of solution of this task. It provides creation of independent environmental and economic rating of the territories and subjects of economic activity. This will stimulate regional and local authorities to work in this direction and their achievements and failures will show the quality of management. Our common aim is to prevent environmental problems before they happen and to minimize negative consequences after a problem has already emerged.
Specialists of the Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics of Tomsk State University worked out a technology of cleaning industrial waste and technogenic pollution on the basis of microorganisms, as press service of the university reports. Today a lot of enterprises recycle industrial waste by means of heat treatment that leads to emission of hazardous substance into the atmosphere. Toxic waste, buried at the special grounds, also pollute the atmosphere. The project of the scientists of the laboratory of biokinetics and biotechnologies of Tomsk State University allows effectively recycle industrial waste and remove technogenic pollution, resulted from oil spills, and recover damaged ecosystems. For commercialization of the project Tomsk State University has created a small innovative enterprise — “Bio-Retoks” LLC that will render services in sphere of cleanup operations and utilization and rework of organic toxic waste. The services of the company will be useful for enterprises of oil refining and oil producing industries, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, agricultural sector and wood processing and metal working industries.
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation prepares the “environmental revolution” in Russia by adopting six draft laws in sphere of environment protection, as Minister of Natural Resources Yuriy Trutnev reported. “Russia needs an environmental revolution. Our country needs stable development, economic modernization, introduction of energy-saving and effective technologies. This is our main task”, — said Trutnev in his interview to “Russia 24”. The Ministry of Natural Resources notices that the draft law on modernization of the system of control and economic encouragement in sphere of environment protection is the most important and revolutionary project. It provides shifting to the principle of best available technologies and environmental modernization of production. “Raised environmental demands require raised investments,” — said Trutnev. The draft law on preservation of marine environment and its protection from oil pollution introduces mechanisms of financial support of the plan of oil spill prevention and response. Next group of draft laws concerns increase of effectiveness of organization of state environmental monitoring, control and audit. It is suggested that all types of environmental monitoring should be combined into common state system of environmental monitoring. The draft law on economic encouragement of activity in sphere of waste management should attract investments to waste recycling, increase secondary usage of waste and reduce the number of buried waste. Besides, a draft law on natural areas of preferential protection is also worked out. It should increase tourist and recreational attractiveness of reserves and national parks and improve protection and material and technical base of natural areas of preferential protection. On December 30 a working meeting of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and the Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation Yuriy Trutnev took place. At the meeting the President ordered the minister to complete preparation of draft laws aimed at improvement of environmental situation in the country and introduction of technologies preventing hazardous emission in three months.
Level of execution of orders of the President and the Prime Minister in sphere of environment protection is “extremely low” and the situation will remain till the society will be involved into the process of decision making, as representatives of WWF Russia announced at the press conference on Friday. Head of the fund Igor Chestin said, that only six of the recent 67 orders are “more or less executed”. These orders concern additional funding — “there were no conflicts of interests”, Igor Chestin noted, and public organizations actively took part in their preparation. “We won’t solve the issues till the society will take part in decision making, because even sensible ideas put forward by ministries, are useless without transparency”, — director of environmental policy of WWF Russia Evgeniy Shvarts concluded.
Belgorod region heads the top ten regions in the environment rating, composed by the nongovernmental organization “Green Patrol”. Altai, Tuva, Tambov and Tomsk regions, Buryatia, Pskov region, Chuvashia, Altai krai and Amur region follow it. “Moscow is an overpopulated megapolis with million tons of waste, illegal building, social irresponsibility of business and corruption. In the Leningrad region the horrible situation in sphere of utilization of domestic and industrial waste, uncontrolled management of natural sources of sand, gravel, stone and spontaneous building in water protection zones takes place”, — representatives of “Green Patrol” explain the reasons of Moscow and Leningrad region falling in the rating.
The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed an order on creation of a special organization that will develop the new national part “Russian Arctic”. He asserted that this structure will work for preservation of unique natural complexes, environment education of citizens, organization of conditions for civilized tourism. Mr Putin reported that the commission on nature protection has already begun functioning. “Together with the Institute for Nature Protection a considerable number of interesting projects is being worked out”, — added the Head of the Government.
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin suggests United Russia adopting amendments to the law on natural areas of preferential protection, which will contribute to tourism development including the Far East. “I suggest the faction of the United Russia in the State Duma adopting amendments to the law on natural areas of preferential protection, which will allow creating the legal basis for development of recreational and tourist activity of national parks”, — Putin said on Monday reporting at the interregional conference of the United Russia. He underlined that if the strategy is implemented under due control it won’t bring any harm to nature, but on the contrary — it will allow attracting additional funding of science and environmental measures and animals’ protection”. Head of the Government noticed that there are no comfortable hotels on the Far East. “In fact, there is no tourist business there, while environment tourism possesses cognitive and moral value, promotes respect for nature and arouses sense of pride for the motherland”, — said the Prime Minister.
Monitoring of the waters of the Amur Bay in the Primorsk region in 2010 showed that environmental state of the aquatorium remains difficult due to hypoxia — oxygen lack in bottom waters. Scientists have been monitoring the waters of the Amur Bay for several years because its environmental state started arousing concern long ago. Research information of 2010 showed that the situation remains difficult due to silting of the bottom caused by oxygen lack in water. Hypoxia appears because of the water muddiness. Lack of light in the water of the Amur Bay leads to grow of the number of phytoplankton. Zooplankton fails to eat it all and phytoplankton falls on the bottom and spoils. As a result, poisonous hydrogen sulphide exhales during molding. In contrast to previous years, in 2010 hypoxia was neutralized already in August due to the ocean current in the Amur Bay. In prior years this current came in Autumn. It is rich in oxygen and as a rule, the bottom is not silted in Winter. Today the main task of scientists is finding out the reason of hypoxia in the bay: if it is anthropogenic factor — pollution, or change of currents. However, the environmental state of the bay remains difficult.
Accounts Chambers of the Russian Federation and Ukraine submitted to the heads of the both countries the letters in which they recommend to increase funding of the environmental protection of the Black and Azov Seas, as Head of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation Sergey Stepashin reported at the briefing in Kiev. On Thursday in Kiev a common session of the Accounts Chambers of Russia and Ukraine was held, at which common monitoring of management of means of regulation, protection, research and recreation of water biological resources and provision of environment security of the Azov and Black Sea fishing industry basin was summarized. “We recommend increasing funding of the environmental security in the Azov and Black Sea basin.” — said Stepashin. By results of the session the Heads of the Accounts Chambers of the Russian Federation and Ukraine signed a memorandum, in which results of the parallel test are summarized, and agreed to continue common control measures for provision of environmental security of reservoirs and preservation of their biological diversity within the frames of international audit of protection of the Black Sea from pollution.
The Federal Water Resources Agency, Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service will work out measures to decrease the risk of emergency situations on water objects and prevent negative effect in 2011, as press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation reported on Wednesday. This decision was adopted at the session of the interdepartmental working group for implementation of the Water strategy of the Russian Federation to 2020. Representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, Federal Water Resources Agency, Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency, Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision and other departments reported on fulfillment of the plan of measures for implementation of the Water strategy. At the session the issues of creation of the common information analysis system of management of water-economic complex of Russia and construction and reconstruction of hydro systems of reservoirs were raised. Chairman of the Interdepartmental working group, director of the department of state policy and regulation in sphere of water resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources Dmitry Kirillov noticed that federal authorities will submit the initiatives to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation for the panel session of the Russian government, at which the process of implementation of the Water strategy will be considered.
Environment protection is a principle task for the nation’s health. ”Nation’s health depends on the environment state that we will pass to our children”, — the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev claimed in his Address to the Federal Assembly. The President asserts that today the environment situation in Russia “can’t be called totally favourable”. Medvedev believes that “modern management system should be introduced into the process of environment protection”. The Head of the Government considers that “the civil society should play the crucial role in environment protection”, besides, environment education and upbringing also play an important role. Medvedev noticed that “environment state should become one of the main parameters and criteria of efficiency of regional governments”. Thus, he ordered to the heads of the regions to report annually on the environment state on their territories. “I order the heads of the objects of the Russian Federation to report annually on environment state in their regions. Population should be aware of this aspect,” — said Medvedev in his Address. “Speaking about nongovernmental environment organizations, those who take care of the environment should be engaged in a dialogue before manufacturing and infrastructure objects are constructed.” — Medvedev reported.
The administration of the President and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs call the Ministry for Natural Resources to amend new standards of environment security of the manufacturing enterprises. The Ministry for Natural Resources intends to introduce new requirements to environment security of the manufacturing objects from 2011. The department suggests establishing the norms of harmful effect on environment on the basis of parameters of best available technologies. Information on technological processes that produce the lowest harm, will be collected in special reference books. The Ministry will take European reference books of best available technologies as a basis. By the order of the President, the draft law with the new system of norms should be submitted to the State Duma on December 1.
Lukoil summarized results of the environmental monitoring of the Kravtsovskoye (D-6) offshore oil field that was conducted by the order of the Company in 2009. Due to the fact that no new wells have been drilled recently at this oil field, the volume of works in operational environmental monitoring was reduced in regional monitoring, while local monitoring on ice resistant platform and submarine pipelines is performed practically in the same volume. Near the Curonian Spit — Russian and Lithuanian natural and culture object of the UNESCO World heritage — intact monitoring was continued. Satellite monitoring of the oil pollution of the surface of the sea, based on analysis of radar images was also continued. Monthly ship observations were carried out near the platform and coastal points of monitoring. 192 radar images were received and analyzed in 2009, of which 146 images — from the ENVISAT(ESA) satellite, 6 images — from the RADARSAT1 (CSA) satellite and 40 images — from the RADARSAT2(MDA) satellite. 90 oil slicks were detected, including 44 slicks near the area of monitoring. During the whole year no slicks were found near the platform and submarine pipeline. The main sources of oil pollution on the surface of the sea are vessels. Thus, the results of the operational environmental monitoring of the Kravtsovskoye (D-6) offshore oil field speak for absence of negative influence of offshore oil extraction on the ecosystem of the South-Eastern Baltic and sufficiency of the measures taken by the Lukoil company for provision of environmental security. Lukoil conducts annual environmental monitoring of the Kravtsovskoye (D-6) oil field from 2003. The complete text of the results of the environmental monitoring for 2009 is available on the website http://www.lukoil.ru/static_6_5id_2135_.html.
Ministry for Natural Resources of the Russian Federation determines the cost of enterprises that will be included into state manufacturing holding company “Rosgeology”, at 5 billion roubles, as Deputy Head of the Ministry for Natural Resources Sergey Donskoy reported to journalists on Thursday. “We have got financial feasibility study of 5 billion roubles. We believe that capitalization of about 40 billion roubles will be achieved to 2020 due to development of a number of directions.” — said Mr Donskoy. He asserts that the issue of creating an OJSC with 100% participation of the government may be resolved by the end of this year. Deputy Minister believes that “Rosgeology” will remain a company with 100% participation of the government, but in future a number of companies, including private ones, may enter it. Mr Donskoy noticed that “Rosgeology” will develop a number of new directions in geologic exploration and expand its participation in international markets. He claims that neighbouring countries of the former Soviet Union are searching for the possibility to attract Russian specialists to their territories for exploration works. For instance, as Mr Donskoy noticed, it is African and Asian countries that won’t attract Western specialists because of the competition on international markets.
Monitoring of the environmental state will reveal the true level of environment pollution in Russia, as experts claimed on Wednesday in the Civic Chamber. “Besides the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, regional chambers also tackle the issues of the environmental state of the country. The main question is how to provide environment security during large-scale economic development”, — Chairman of the Commission of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation for Environmental Policy and Protection Vladimir Zakharov said at the opening of the hearings. He claimed that returning of the mechanism of the State Environmental Expertise will be a necessary step for provision of environmental security. “Speaking about lake Baikal and Khimki forest, we lack State Environmental Expertise", — he said. By the results of the hearings the Civic Chamber prepared an address to the government of the country with recommendations among which there is refusal of temporarily coordinated permits for emissions, adoption of the law on payment for negative influence on the environment and the law on areas of environmental ill-being. Ecologists suggest starting the process of liquidation of environmental damage.
The Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service offered OJSC “Rusal Boksitogorsk” to pay 2,372 mln roubles for the environmental damage caused by pollutants discharge and fish kill in the river Pyardomlya of the Boksitogorsk district of the Leningrad region, as the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service reports. From August 9 to October 15 inspectors of the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service carried out control activities upon pollutants discharge and fish kill in the rivers of Pyardomlya, Syas, Volozhba of the Boksitogorsk district. Proceedings were initiated and administrative inquiry was held in reference to OJSC “Rusal Boksitogorsk”. “According to the results of analyses of collected water samples, influence of waste water of OJSC “Rusal Boksitogorsk” on the pollution level of aluminum of the rivers Pyardomlya — Volozhba — Syas was detected. Supervisory examination of the Boksitogorsk infrastructure showed that the cause of pollutants discharge was an accident at the alumina industry of OJSC “Rusal Boksitogorsk” caused by supply disconnection during the storm on July 29, 2010 that lead to water pollution and fish kill”, — the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service reports.
Administrative provision for state environment control of the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service worked out by the Ministry of Natural Resources is registered in the Ministry of Justice, as press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources reports on November 19, 2010. According to the order of the government dated September 13, the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service accepted functions of state environment expertise from the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision. “The document sets terms and sequence of procedures and actions of the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service, collaboration with legal and physical entities in environment control including control and supervision of atmosphere air protection, waste management, management and protection of water resources, geological study and efficient use and protection of mineral resources”, — press service reports. Administrative provision also concerns protection, reproduction and management of wildlife objects, activity of natural areas of preferential protection, lake Baikal and other spheres of environment control.
On November 18 round table “Low-head dam: a prospect of development of the Omsk region” took place in the Omsk Regional Scientific Library named after A.S. Pushkin. Members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Russian Geographic Society, the Siberian State Automobile-Road Academy, design engineers and scientists took part in the discussion. Specialists considered issues of hydrology, geodesy, environment and economy confirming purposefulness of construction of the Krasnogorsk water-lifting hydrosystem at Irtysh. Governor of the Omsk region Leonid Polezhaev was the first to announce the necessity of its construction that will start in 2011. The cost of works will comprise about 8 billion roubles. The dam will solve the issue of lack of water resources in Omsk and improve sanitary and environment state of the water artery. Necessity of construction of the hydrosystem was endorsed by the Main Expertise of Russia and included into the Water Strategy of the Russian Federation due to lack of water resources in the Omsk region. Construction of the object is included into the plan of main events of celebration of 300 anniversary of Omsk.
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation worked out a project of the Federal Target Programme for environment security, for implementation of which 65 billion roubles will be allocated, as head of the Ministry Yuriy Trutnev reported on Wednesday at the “government hour” at the State Duma. «Project of the strategy of the Federal Target Programme “Environment security of Russia 2012-2020” within the frames of which about 20 projects will be implemented in a number of Russian regions. Total volume of funding of the programme will comprise 65 billion roubles”, said Trutnev. He added that the Federal Target Programme will be implemented in the Khabarovsk krai, Samara, Irkutsk, Kurgan, Arkhangelsk region, Buryatia and other territories.
New innovation enterprise LLC “Akvasensor” founded on the basis of Tomsk State University will produce microwave sensors for water quality control. The devices may be used on enterprises having water treatment systems, as it was informed by the official site of Tomsk State University on Monday. “Water in the Tomsk region contains a lot of mineral salts and much iron”, — the sensor’s creator, head teacher of the radiophysical faculty of Tomsk State University Yevgeniy Korovin explains. He believes that this may result in thermal stations’ malfunction. The facility’s operation is based on the method of determining inductive capacity of solvents. This parameter depends on existence of admixtures in the liquid, thus it may determine the quality level of the water. The facility’s operation is based on the method of determining inductive capacity of solvents. This parameter depends on existence of admixtures in the liquid, thus it may determine the quality level of the water. One more variant of application of the microwave sensor is search of rivers and lakes pollution sources. According to the report, with this device environment organizations may determine places of pollution. The sensor that is worked out in Tomsk State University is more compact than its analogues and less costly. Tomsk scientists started working out the facility in 2006. In 2007 the engineers of the sensor became one of the first residents of the business incubator of Tomsk State University.
Russian largest private oil company JSC “LUKOIL” and government of the Republic of Komi will implement programmes for energy efficiency and environmental monitoring in 2011, as head of the Republic of Komi Vyacheslav Gaizer reported. On Monday President of LUKOIL Vahid Alekberov meets the head of the Republic. After the meeting they will sign an agreement on collaboration between the company and the government of Komi in 2011. Gaizer claims that the main achievement of the government of Komi is inclusion of obligations for joint implementation of the programme for energy efficiency and environmental monitoring into the agreement. “The company and its subsidiaries will coordinate their actions with the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Komi”, — he explained.
Anglo American, Colgate-Palmolive, Ford, General Electric, PG&E and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing showed best results in water management in 2010, as Carbon Disclosure Project reports. Russian companies together with companies of Chili, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Mexico and other countries didn’t participate in the interviewing, as WWF Russia reported on Saturday. “One of the world’s largest metallurgic companies Anglo American became the leader in water management sphere. This brings hope that Russian metallurgic flagmans will also aim at achieving best results in water management sector,” — head of the programme for ecologization of markets and investments of WWF Russia Lada Progunova. New project of non-commercial organization Carbon Disclosure Project aims at determining the quality of water resources management in world’s largest corporations. According to the report, 96% of the interviewed companies underlined the important role of water resources in their business. More than half of the companies admitted that risks connected to water consumption are classified as short-term (1-5 years). 39% of the companies have already faced water resources problems. Water security issues are discussed on the level of corporate governance for 67% of the interviewed companies. Majority of the companies (89%) are working out special corporate strategies for water management sphere. Independent non-commercial organization Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) sent inquiries to over 300 largest companies for information on water resources management and other aspects connected to water. 137 financial institutions with total asset of 16 trillion dollars including Allianz Group, CalSTRS, HSBC, ING, Mitsubishi, UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and National Australian Bank supported CDP and signed informational inquiries.
The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia will strive for adoption of the convention on oil spill non-admission at the G20 next summit, as he claimed on Friday, November 12 at the final press conference at the end of G20 summit. Medvedev explained that existing international legislation doesn’t provide effective precaution of such consequences as the case of the Gulf Mexico oil spill revealed. This year the largest oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20 an explosion on British Petroleum’s platform Deepwater Horizon happened. The platform sunk in two days. 11 persons died. Every day 760 thousand liters of oil flew from the borehole located at a depth of 1525 m, 64 km to the South-East from the estuary of the Mississippi river. On April 29 and 30 state of emergency was announced in Louisiana, Florida and Alabama. At the present moment BP has spent about 8 billion dollars for liquidation of the consequences of the accident. The company’s total loss may exceed 30 billion dollars.
At the summit in Seoul “Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors” (G20) will order the working group to report on preparation of the international legal mechanism of regulation in sphere of protection of seas from oil pollution at the G20 next meeting in France in 2011, as a representative of the Russian delegation reported to journalists at the meeting of the leaders of the world’s twenty largest countries. The President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev had pushed forward this initiative before the G20 summit took place in Toronto on June 26-27 this year. The President’s offer was entitled Global initiative for preservation of marine environment. The representative reported that the working group worked out “Review of international regulation in sphere of oil exploitation and transportation on the shelf with account for marine environment protection”, that describes the current state of the problem and its possible solutions. The working plan of the group provides preparation of the mechanism for sharing experience in sphere of precaution and liquidation of oil spill in exploration of sea shelf and oil and gas marine transportation, as the representative said. The group will take into account results of reports of the USA presidential commission and the Australia’s Montara Oil Spill Commission. The Global initiative for preservation of marine environment will be implemented under the leadership of Russia and joint chairmanship of Brazil (leadership in issues of oil and gas production on the shelf) and Turkey (leadership in issues of marine transportation).
Managers of the Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi presented the environment programme of the Games at the forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Kenya, as press service of the organizing committee of “Sochi 2014” reports. “The programme provides maximum involvement of all the participants of the project partners, companies constructing sport and infrastructural objects, environment-oriented and public organizations and government structures into environment initiatives”, as the report informs. The organizing committee notices that the programme covers all the stages of the Olympic project implementation, because one of the crucial tasks of the preparation for the Winter Olympics is both protection of the nature and improvement of the environment in the region.
The draft decree of the Russian government “On precaution and liquidation of oil and oil products spill on the territory of the Russian Federation, on its continental shelf and its exclusive economic zone” received several remarks in public consultations. For instance, the final document of the Ministry for Economic Development of the Russian Federation informs that the draft decree doesn’t contain new approaches to solution of issues of oil spill response (OSR). The remarks, formulated by the Federation Council Commission for National Marine Policy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, are put into a separate paragraph of the final conclusion. The profile commission of the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament reports that “possessing a plan is not enough for the shipping company to stave off actual risks of possible emergencies; shipping plans are necessary” and “existing normative requirements make ship owners sign expensive contracts with organizations, having market monopolist position”.
Specialists of the Sochi national park together with state corporation “Olympstroi” transferred about 500 wild animals from the zone of Olympic objects construction in Imereti valley near Sochi where the Winter Olympic Games 2014 will take place, as “Olympstroi” reports. “State corporation “Olympstroi” carried out capturing and transferring of over 450 animals from the territory of Olympic objects construction in Imereti lowland to the ornithological park — Lebyazhii lakes. On the territory of the construction zone specialists of the Sochi national park captured reptiles and amphibias listed in the Red Book of the Krasnodarsky krai”, — Olympstroi reports. “However, all the animals including such species as grass-snake, lake frog and numerous species of fish will be transferred into the similar biotope — aquatorium of one of Lebyazhii lakes. Economic activity will be forbidden and favourable life conditions for animals will be provided on the territory of the ornithological park”, — Olympstroi informs. Representatives of the organizing committee of “Sochi-2014” and the Federal Supervision Service of Natural Resource Management in the Krasnodarsky krai and the Republic of Adygeya participated in this activity.
The government of the Irkutsk region reported that on Tuesday new pollution control facilities were put into operation in Sludyanka on the coast of Baikal, which will protect the lake from biological waste. Construction of pollution control facilities started in 1995, stopped in 1998 and resumed in 2006. Old facilities were declared to be conductive to damage. Estimated cost of the object comprised 232,6 mln roubles. “The main feature of new pollution control facilities is biological way of purification with use of ultraviolet”, as it is said in the report. Today pollution control facilities are connected to the electrical supply network “Oblkommunenergo”. They will clean 6 thousand cubic meters of waste water, flowing from the village of Sludyanka. The Sludyansky region is one of tourism centers on Baikal.
The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation intends to put stricter requirements to the Federal Nature Management Supervision Service concerning additional garbage at rubbish heaps. In October control and supervision functions in sphere of waste management passed from the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision to the Federal Nature Management Supervision Service. “It is necessary to stop issuing limits to enterprises that are not capable of constructing dump grounds meeting the requirements of environmental security”, — director of the department of state policy and regulation in sphere of environmental safety Rinat Gizatulin claims. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation got down to preparing methodological instructive regulations according to which inspectors of the Federal Nature Management Supervision Service, while making a decision to allow storing or utilizing of additional volumes, will pay attention to project solutions first. Besides, the Ministry intends to make State Environmental Expertise of new and reconstructed dump grounds obligatory from 2010. The Ministry of Natural Resources reports that a lot of owners of dump grounds didn’t pass State Environmental Expertise and exaggerated the capacity of their objects in documents.
The Spanish government withdrew accusation in environment pollution from the dry cargo vessel “Vysokogorsk” that was seized in the port of Algeciras and released on Thursday against security of 150 thousand Euro. According to the General department of trade fleet of Spain, the dry cargo vessel, going from the Swedish port of Orskar to the Egyptian port of Alexandria, left an oil slick 188 miles from the coast of Spain near the Cape Prior (Galicia). Communique of press service of the department claims that the oil slick 20 km long and 1,1 km wide was found by the “Sasemar 102” plane of the General department of the trade fleet of Spain. The vessel cruised in the Bay of Biskay outside the territorial waters of the governments and “special area”, regulated by the international conventions. On October 24 “Vysokogorsk” was seized by the port authorities of Spain and on October 26 the dry cargo vessel was arrested and a criminal case was initiated against the vessel and its captain. On Thursday court hearings with regard to this case took place in the criminal court of Algeciras. At the hearings the captain of the ship was questioned, the surveyor reports and other documents were studied. Eventually, the criminal case against the captain and vessel was dismissed. Criminal charge for aquatorium pollution was withdrawn from the vessel. However, according to the shipping company, Spain didn’t withdraw requirements from the ship owner to provide bank guarantees for a cargo to continue cruising till official court decision is made.
The second reading of the draft law on radioactive waste management will take place before the end of 2010, as Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Energy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Konstantin Zaitsev reported on October 28. “We plan to consider this law at the second reading by the end of the year. There were a lot of alterations to the second reading. Majority of the initiatives of public environmental organizations and the scientific community were adopted”, — he said. Mr Zaitsev asserts that the law will come into force in 2011. Besides, discussion of the draft law on spent fuel will also start in 2011 after the law on radioactive waste management is adopted. “Taking into account that the State Corporation “Rosatom” began working more actively for development of atomic energy in Russia, the legislation should regulate all the mechanisms of radioactive waste management and spent fuel”, — said the deputy. The draft law on radioactive waste management was adopted by the State Duma at the first reading in January 2010.
Ten thousand clams were planted near the quay of the Kozmino port in the city of Nakhodka to study the pollution level. “80 fishponds each having 125 one and two year old units of seaside scallops were put in the sea”. — Press service of the Specialized Oil-Loading Seaport “Kozmino” reported. The sea animals were planted by scientists of the Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Institute of the Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Pacific Scientific and Research Fishery Center”. “Personnel working in the institute studied the bay in advance, — press service reported. — Favourable conditions for planting clams were established there”. “Aim of cultivating clams in the bay of Kozmino is aquatorium state monitoring, — specialists say. — A scallop is a natural water filter. It can show water pollution level.”
On October 25 oil slicks reaching 100 meters in length were found in the Port of St. Petersburg near quays ¹ 1, 2 and 3, as press service of the Ministry of Transport reports. The source of pollution couldn’t be identified. The Baltic Basin Emergency and Rescue Service sent the “Alphard” vessel to collect the oily mixture. According to the data provided by the dispatcher of the Basin Service on October 26 at 1:38 a.m., works on collecting the oily mixture near quays ¹ 1, 2 and 3 were completed: 700 liters containing 90% of fuel oil and 0,6 cubic meters of oily waste were gathered.
On October 24, 2010 first Russian-Chinese expedition on palaeoceanography left Vladivostok for the Sea of Japan. Scientists will study climate changes that occurred in the region for the last 200 thousand years. 18 Russian and 11 Chinese scientists will carry out research work on the vessel “Academic Lavrentiev” during 45 days. Works will be performed at four sections of the Sea of Japan and at three sections of the Sea of Okhotsk. The scientists will study deepwater marine sediments and will take water samples to discover what streams flow in the sea. Results will be compared to the data of the previous years. It will help to understand the reasons of the climate current changes and possibly forecast future changes. This expedition is the first in the series of joint Russian-Chinese scientific researches in sphere of ocean and peripheral seas study. In the nearest future scientists hope to carry out such research in the Bering Sea.
Representatives of the international organization “United Nations Environment Programme” (UNEP) notice a considerable progress in sphere of environment protection during preparation for Winter Olympic Games 2014, however, work for environment preservation requires long-term planning and integrating efforts of the involved parties: the Games’ organizers, the regional administration, the municipal government and the urban community. Visit of UNEP experts’ mission takes place in Sochi from October 18 to 22 within the frames of collaboration with “Sochi 2014” Organization Committee. “Provision of “green Games” is the task of not only “Sochi 2014” Organization Committee, but also of all the participants of the preparation process of the Olympiad. The main aim of the Organization Committee is to “support the coordination process of these participants of the Games’ preparation”. The Organization Committee and UNEP combine their efforts for the purpose of working out bright and outstanding projects that will provide opportunity of participation of the interested parties in each of the four main directions of the Environment programme of the Organization Committee: “Games in harmony with nature”, “Games without climate changing” and “Games without waste”. Environment programmes within the preparation for the Olympiad should be long-term and provide a long-term result.
The two last checks of the environmental prosecutor’s office carried out due to the citizens’ complaints in July and September 2010, discovered no contraventions of “The Murmansk Commercial Seaport” JSC in dust emissions. Besides, the press service of the stevedoring company reports that previous numerous checks of the environmentall situation in the port also haven’t discovered any contraventions of the norms. According to the Murmansk Commercial Seaport, the company implements a programme that covers almost all production activity. The programme provides a series of arrangements that are carried out constantly or periodically. The amount of expenses for the period from 2005 to 2009 comprised 53,758 mln roubles. Besides, the company reports that works and arrangements that are implemented not periodically, but in case of necessity, are also provided: concreting, paving of open sections of the territory, repairing and purchasing of dust suppression and dust collection systems, equipping of warehouse spaces by irrigation systems, preparing of projects of emissions limits and waste generation norms. 97,431 mln roubles were allocated for this purpose during the period from 2005 to 2009. The Murmansk Commercial Seaport intends to continue its policy aimed at environmental impact reduction. Thus, in 2010 the Institute for Applied Ecology and Hygiene (St. Petersburg) worked out a project for justification of dimensions of the sanitary-protection zone for the port. According to the air monitoring plan in the area of the apartment block, in 2011 instrumental examination of air dustiness will be carried out in the independent accredited laboratory of the Center of Laboratory Analysis and Technical Metrology in the Murmansk region. Besides, well-proven technical equipment for dust suppression will be used and new technologies will be worked out and introduced. “The Murmansk Commercial Seaport” JSC was founded in 1994 on the basis of the state enterprise. The Murmansk Commercial Seaport owns 17 quays with total length of 3000 meters. The length and depth at the quays allow to handle vessels with 15,5m water draught and over 265 m long. Cargo turnover of “The Murmansk Commercial Seaport” JSC by results of 2009 exceeded 15,1 mln tons.
About 9 billion roubles will be invested into implementation of the Pure Water Federal Target Programme in 2011-2013, as the Prime Minister of the RF Vladimir Putin reported. “Today the programme is submitted to the government for endorsement and will be implemented in 2011 — 2017. Its funding is already put into the federal budget and within the first three years will comprise 9 billion roubles”, — said Putin at the International Forum “Pure Water-2010”. Besides, the Prime Minister reminded that the strategy of the Federal Target Programme “Water resources development in 2012-2020” that is currently being prepared, will contribute to effective use and protection of water objects.
The strategy for the Arctic Development to 2020 may be considered on October 21 at the session of the government of the Russian Federation, as Minister of Natural Recourses Yuriy Trutnev announced on October 19. “We have worked out this strategy, submitted it to the government and prepared it for the consideration”, — he said. He expects that the Ministry of Natural Recourses will scrutinize the Arctic strategy on October 21. The project of “The strategy for development and exploitation of the Arctic to 2020”, on which the state programme for this region’s development will be based, was presented by the Minister of Regional Development of the Russian Federation Viktor Basargin on the II Arctic Murmansk International Forum on October 1-3. Russia has three priorities in the Arctic, as the minister claimed: first, it is necessary to create favourable life conditions with due care to traditions of the native citizens, second, it is important to support new points of economic growth and attraction of national and foreign investments to the region and the third priority concludes allocation of considerable sums of money for scientific environment-oriented infrastructure. Basargin enumerated main fields of work: support of national security and fundamental research, development of the Northern Sea Route, preservation of the environment and etc. The minister believes that the main constraining factor for subarctic regions’ improvement is imperfectness of transport infrastructure that needs new railway lines, atomic and diesel ice-breakers.
On the river Don in the Rostov region an oil carrier exploded, as “Interfax” reported on October 17. One man died and two people were injured. The explosion occurred during oil pumping near the village Bagayevskaya 40 km to the north-east of Rostov-on-Don. The press-service of the regional department of emergency situations reports that the fire spread from the vessel to the nearby ship. According to the latest information, both vessels came down under the water’s weight. The main department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Rostov region claims that the fire is liquidated now and oil hasn’t spilt into the Don river.
Specialists of the marine supervisory department of the Federal Natural Resources Supervision Service in the North-West Federal District fined “Ust-Luga sea merchant port” JSC for 165 thousand roubles, as press-service of the department reports. “A juridical person is fined in case of nonpayment within the established deadline for negative impact on the environment, absence of contract on water use and non-observance of environment requirements in waste handling”, — the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service states. Inspectors of the supervisory department found law violation while checking environmental compliance of the company. Sea port Ust-Luga is located in Luzhskaya Guba of the gulf of Finland (the Leningrad region). The port is one of Russia’s largest infrastructure projects. The port can transship over 120 million tons of various cargo a year.
Water polluted because of an accident in Hungary may reach the territory of Ukraine on October 19-20. However, there is no reason to worry, as head of the Department of the State Committee on Water Management of the Ukraine Yuriy Yakovenko claimed. An explosion that took place on October 4 at Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt alumina refinery near the town of Kolontar, destructed a dam of the reservoir with toxic waste, called red mud. After the explosion approximately 1,1 mln cubic meters of the toxic substance poured from the reservoir. The red mud reached the river Mosoni-Duna near the boarder between Austria and Slovakia and poured into the river Raba flowing into Danube. Yakovenko stated that Hungary and Rumania informed the State Committee on Water Management that rate of the toxic substance and heavy metal stopped increasing. “This was achieved thanks to effectiveness of measures taken by Hungary for liquidation of the accident consequences”, — Yakovenko underlined.
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