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On the 31st of July the President Assistant Elvira Nabiullina held a meeting concerning promotion of natural gas utilization in the capacity of engine fuel. The meeting was participated by the Deputy Minister for Transport of the Russian Federation Nikolay Asaul. Among other issues, there was discussed a question relating co-financing from the federal budgetary funds of a program for gas-engine buses procurement procedures by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2012. In order to realize the Federal law dated 05.06.2012 #48-FL “Concerning amendments to the Federal law “Concerning federal budget for 2012 and for the planning period of 2013-2014” the Transport Ministry has prepared a draft decree of the government of the Russian Federation “Concerning approval of the procedure of subsidies distribution from the federal budget in 2012 to the budgets of constituent entities of the Russian Federation for purchasing gas-engine buses, trams and trolleybuses manufactured within the territory of the state-members of the Single economic space”. The draft decree determines quotas for each constituent entity of the Russian Federation for a quantity of transport vehicles to be purchased. The entities are supposed to submit additional requests for purchasing of transport vehicles according to their demand analysis. The volume of budgetary assignments (3.5 billion rubles), provided in the budget of the Transport Ministry of Russia for the stated aims, are distributed in such a manner, that the subjects can purchase in total 1000 buses, 185 trolleybuses and 89 trams. Meanwhile there were stated subsidy rates for a transport vehicle unit: 2.5 million rubles for buses, 3 million rubles for trolleybuses and 5 million rubles for trams, which composes 30% of the average cost of a transport vehicle. The part of co-financing from the budgets of the Russian subjects has to reach 20%. Moreover, subjects may also attract extra budgetary sources of financing. Realization of the given project will permit regions to replace some part of their rolling stock with environmentally safe transport vehicles. Besides, the subsidy assistance in purchasing buses with gas engines will create an added incentive for development of gas-filling infrastructure within the territory of the Russian Federation; and this will promote use of environmentally safe gas-engine buses. The draft decree will be published on the official web-site of the Ministry for Transport after being corrected by the federal ministers-coexecutors.
The quantity of the equipped beaches in Russia in 2012 has reduced by a third according to the previous year (up to 2.3 thousand). "There has been carried out an engineering certification from the beginning of the bathing suit season and 2.34 thousand beaches are allowed to exploitation (3.36 thousand in 2011)”, - reported the EMERCOM. According to the data of the agency, the majority of the equipped beaches is now in the South and Central Federal Districts (562 and 529 relatively), the minority of them is in the North Caucasus (143) and in the Far East (36). In Moscow there are now 11 beaches where one is allowed to swim. As was stated earlier by the EMERCOM, there is only 1% of the total number of the dead which has drowned using the equipped beaches. The main reasons of the people’s death are still swimming in inappropriate places, nonobservance of measures of personal security and drinking of alcohol. According to the life-savers, from the beginning of this year there are already 982 persons drowned, what is 471 less than in 2011 (32.4% less). On the water bodies in Russia there were registered 7.1 thousand incidents in 2011 (9 thousand in 2010), as the result of which 6.2 thousand people drowned (7.5 in 2010), including 417 children (449 in 2010).
The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev affirmed “Basic principles of the state policy for ecological development of the Russian Federation for a period till 2030”. “Development of such Basic principles is caused by a necessity of ecological safety providing for the modernization of economics and in the process of innovative development”, - reported the Kremlin press center. Among concerned principles there are in particular: “respecting human rights of getting reliable information about the state of environment” and “participation of citizens in taking decisions about their rights for favorable environment”. Also there are noted such principles as “presumption of ecological danger of planned ecological and other activity”, “preservation priority of natural ecological systems, and natural landscapes and ecosystems”, “full compensation for harm inflicted upon the environment”. The program provides “participation of citizens, public and other noncommercial associations in solving problems in the sphere of environment protection and provision of ecological safety, taking into account their opinions while taking decisions about economic and other activity which may render negative influence on environment.
The Government of the Russian Federation approved the FTP “Water utilization system development in Russia in 2012-2020”, which provides financing to the extent of 523 billion rubles till 2020. This sum includes 291.7 billion from federal budget resources, 108.1 billion from consolidated budget resources of Russian regions, 123.3 billion from extra-budgetary resources. The role of main program developer and state customer-coordinator performs the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Russian Federation. Among principle aims of the program there are “guaranteed provision of steady social and economic development of the Russian Federation with the help of water resources, conservation and restoration of the water objects to the condition ensuring favorable living environment for population”, as well as “providing safety of population and economical objects from floods and other negative impact of waters”. As was stated earlier by the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection – Semen Levi, according to the program it’s planned to bring out of the critical condition almost 2.5 thousand hydraulic engineering installations, to build and to reconstruct more than 1.6 thousand kilometers of protective engineering installations for a flood period, as well as to modernize and to establish more than 3.6 thousand hydraulic posts and laboratories of the Agency on Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. As the result of the program by 2020 it’s supposed to raise accuracy of water resources providing for 6 million persons living in the regions of the local water shortages occurrence, as well as to half the ratio of polluted waste waters in the total volume of water disposal to be treated. According to the program, in 2012-2020 it’s planned to spend 4.03 billion rubles for research and development works, 215.6 billion rubles for capital investments. Meanwhile the Ministry of Natural Resources will get 23.5 billion rubles, the Federal Agency for Water Resources – 213.3 billion, the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring – 23.7 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Federal Fishery Agency – 26.3 and 4.87 billion rubles respectively.
The Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage (FSSNRU) will discover pollution sources of the rivers in the Arctic basin The Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Yuriy Trutnev gave an order to the FSSNRU to carry out patrol inspections with the involvement of publicity to discover oil and oily substances pollution sources of the rivers in the Arctic basin, reported press relations service of the Ministry. Control and supervisory measures are ordered to be done in the period of spring flood as well. Special attention will be paid to the main rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin: Ob, Irtysh and Yenisey. Among other activities the FSSNRU will examine territories around infield, interfield and main pipelines, also it will submit “proposals for reducing negative impact on water objects and recovery of oil production damage (storage, transportation and oil refining) in case of pollutions revelation”. “Based on the results of the events there will be issued a data analysis which will help to develop a set of measures on ecological situation improvement not only in river basins flowing into the Arctic Ocean, but in the whole Arctic region as well”, - the Agency informs.
IA "BaltInfo" will be the official media partner of the III International Forum "Environment", which will be held in St. Petersburg from 29 to 30 March. BaltInfo now ranks among the largest media outlets in St. Petersburg. Every day the site of the agency www.baltinfo.ru visit 30,000 unique users. The company is also engaged in organizing press events: press conferences, round tables, briefings, discussions, press tours, informational support.
Engineering - Technology Center (ITC) "ScanEks" (Moscow) summed up the satellite monitoring of pollution of the shelf of Sakhalin Island in 2011. "The monitoring results confirmed once again the findings of experts from the Institute of Oceanology named after P.Shirshov RAS and RDC," ScanEks "that the main pollution sources of Russian seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, are active shipping and fishing, as well as the transportation of oil and petroleum products , "- noted in the company. During a year, according to its data, 43 sessions of satellite radar imagery offshore Sakhalin Island were conducted. Anthropogenic filmy pollution was found at 26 radar images. That is 60% of the radar survey proved to be effective. Most of the installed pollution is the result of dumping bilge water or water contaminated with various petroleum products from ships. This is particularly evidenced by the characteristic linear form of pollutions on satellite imagery, and their location near the shipping lanes. In some radar images the vessels involved in the dirt were recorded. The largest vessel spill area of 81 square kilometers was discovered on September 18, 2011 in the Okhotsk Sea, 60 km off the east coast of the island.
The experimental sample of ECO bus - bus on electricity - model "Trolza - 5250" submitted for trial operation of passenger transport company of Nizhnekamsk. ECO bus was created by engineers of JSC "Trolza" (trolleybus factory town of Engels, Saratov region) - Russia's first eco-friendly hybrid bus with an electric motor. It is equipped with micro-turbines, operating on natural methane - very cheap and clean fuel. The turbine drives a generator that produces electrical energy by means of which the bus moves. The novelty of the domestic machine-building was shown to the president of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Contract on the testing was signed by the heads of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic, of Nizhnekamsk municipal district and JSC "Trolza." The tests will allow to evaluate objectively driving and environmental characteristics of ECO buses and draw conclusions about the feasibility of using hybrid public transport.
This was reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Earlier, Ministry of Natural Resources planned to build only four Protected Areas (PAs). Two new reserves will be formed in 2012: "Ingermanland" (Leningrad region), and "Shaitan-Tau" (Orenburg Region). Six national parks will also be established this year: "Beringia" (Chukotka), "Land of the leopard" (Primorskiy Region), "Ladoga Skerries" (Karelia), "Onezhskoea Pomorie" (Arkhangelsk region), "Chikoy" (Transbaikal region) "Shantar Islands" (Khabarovsk Territory). In addition, this year expanding the area of the Sikhote-Alin (Primorye), North-Ossetian, Astrakhan, Teberda (Karachaevo-Cherkessia), Dagestan, Khopersky (Voronezh region) and the Caucasus (Krasnodar Territory, Adygea) reserves is also planned. It is also planned in 2013 to expand the park "Panayarvi" in the Murmansk region. Later, in 2013-2019, the Ministry suggests creating a reserve for one year and the two reserves is assumed to form in 2020.
Prosecutor's office of Kamchatka requires exploration of the waters of Avachinskaya Bay on the presence of sunken ships, vessels and other craft. The requirement to organize the necessary works has already been sent to the Department of Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage in the Far East. "The main goal is to identify the presence of submerged ships and other vessels, which are sources of pollution and possible contamination of water bodies. In the case of violations of the existing legislation comprehensive measures should be taken aimed at establishing the owners of decommissioned ships and other craft (or their parts and mechanisms), preventing and eliminating threats to harm the environment, eliminating the violations, bringing those responsible people to justice, "- said the representative of the prosecutor's office. In 2011 the courts granted 15 claims of Kamchatka interdistrict prosecutor and assigned obligations to raise and remove from the waters of Avachinskaya Bay sunken ships, vessels and other boats.
Russia and Kazakhstan created the Commission on bilateral cooperation in the conservation of landscape and biological diversity in the transboundary area of the Orenburg region of Russia and Aktubinskiy region of Kazakhstan. It is also planned to develop a joint plan of action for the conservation of landscape and biological diversity in the transboundary area for 2012-2015., including the priority action plan for 2012 and a joint management plan for the fire situation in the natural areas in the transboundary area in the fire season of 2012. The corresponding decision was adopted on February 2 during the meeting on the topic "Conservation of landscape and biological diversity of the steppe in the border areas of the Orenburg region of Russia and Kazakhstan's Aktubinskiy region: joint action plans, the creation of cross-border steppes of protected areas (PAs)," which was held in Orenburg. The Commission will be created in the next two months. In the case of successful initiatives, the environmental authorities of neighboring regions will be able to quickly collaborate in the fight against poaching hunting. "The main goal of co-operation - to save in the cross-border zone not only separate species, but as large area and as fully as possible the diversity of the steppe ecosystem in the whole - said the manager of the UNDP / GEF / Ministry of the environment of Russia "Improvement of the system and mechanisms of managing protected areas in the steppe biome of Russia", Yevgeny Kuznetsov. - For the steppe we want to save - thousands of components of plant and animal species, unique steppe soils and landscapes of the Russian-Kazakh border region, which have cultural and historical value."
By 2015 seven large reservoirs will be built in Russia The design and construction of seven large reservoirs with a total capacity of over 400 million cubic meters began, including on the beam Shurdere in the Republic of Dagestan, Elistinskoe in the Republic of Kalmykia, Kurskoe on the river Tuskar in the Kursk region, and others. Scheduled date of completion - 2013-2015. In 2008-2011, work on the construction and rehabilitation of water reservoirs and water systems of 15 objects were held, eight objects, including the water system on the river Samur (Dagestan), Sorochinskoe Reservoir on the river Samara (Samara region), Shemurshinskoe reservoir (Chuvashia) , Chermozskoe pond and the pond on the river Lysva in the village of Zyukayka (Perm Territory), and others were put into operation. The result of the measures was the increase in capacity and water yield of reservoirs totaling more than 520 million cubic meters. The budget for these purposes amounted to 6.8 billion rubles, the economic effect of implementation of activities was 17.2 billion rubles.
Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia plans to equip up to 2015 all potentially dangerous objects (PDO), including radioactive contamination, with the latest control systems, told the representative of the Department of Civil Protection agency to RIA Novosti on Wednesday. PDO - objects that use, produce, process, store or transport radioactive, flammable and explosive, dangerous chemical and biological substances that create a real threat of an emergency of a man-made type. "It is decided to equip the potentially dangerous objects with systems of radioactive, chemical and biological control," - said. This work is performed under the federal target program (FTP) "Risk reduction and mitigation of emergency situations of natural and man-made disasters in the Russian Federation until 2015."
This year "cleaning of the Arctic" will be continued Arctic environmental cleanup program provides the future of one of the most promising areas of Russian economic development in the field of transport, infrastructure and mining. "United Russia" Party Project "Saint-Petersburg - the Sea Capital of Russia" is involved in the development of environmental measures aimed at elimination of the consequences of the previous economic activity in the Arctic. "The need for "a general cleaning of the Arctic "was noted in the resolution of the II International Conference "Environment", organized by the project last year. Our proposals were heard and at the initiative of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin the development and implementation of the program began, it was noted by the special representative of the Russian President on international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, Project Coordinator Arthur Chilingarov. The first results of this program and further measures to solve environmental clean-up in the Arctic problem, we will discuss at the III International Forum "Environment", which will be held from 29 to 31 of March in St. Petersburg". Let us recall that it is planned to allocate for a program to "clean the Arctic" from the federal budget more than 21 billion rubles up to 2015. This amount could be increased. Last year within the program thousands of containers of fuel and lubricants were shipped out from the archipelago of Franz Josef Land. A survey area was made, samples were taken, and a map of pollution was created. In 2012 professionals must justify the need and priority of environmental protection measures, offer technology and equipment which will be used to clean up, make a cost calculation of works to eliminate sources of negative impact. Territory where immediate action to clean-up is required will be included in the priority activities.
Great cleaning in the Arctic In 2012, one of the most vulnerable regions in the world will remain under close public attention. Project of general cleaning of the Arctic continues. He started working last year. It’s planned to allocate more than 21 billion rubles from the federal budget for its implementation until 2015. It is not excluded that the budget of the federal program would be increased. This year, professionals must justify the need and priority of environmental protection measures, offer technology and equipment which will be used to clean up, make a cost calculation of works to eliminate sources of negative impact. Territory where immediate action to clean-up is required will be included in the priority activities. Last year within this program in the archipelago of Franz Josef Land expedition worked. As a result of it was made the overall conclusion that the environmental situation on the islands of the archipelago is difficult. At the Franz Josef Land experts and equipment for the burning and pressing of empty barrels were brought. As a result, thousands of containers of fuel and lubricants were shipped out from the archipelago. A survey area was made, samples were taken, and a map of pollution was created. Now work to develop specific proposals for the remediation of Arctic lands is carried on. Also in Norway, a national campaign to clean up the coasts is being held. During the autumn of last year to volunteers have collected a huge amount of debris on 100 kilometers.
Russian Emergency Situations Ministry expects environmental degradation near industrial hydraulic works Russian Emergencies Ministry does not exclude environmental situation degradation at the locations of industrial hydraulic works in 2012. Industrial hydraulic works include storage of waste, tailings (a set of special facilities for storing or disposal of mineral processing wastes, called tailings), sludge (sludge - the waste product comprising the dust, and petty part, obtained as a precipitate during the washing of the ore material ), ponds, and drives technical, drainage and water slurry. "It's possible environmental degradation in areas where the industrial hydraulic works are ... in the Far East (Magadan Region, Khabarovsk Territory), Siberian (Buryat, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo Regions, Tuva), Urals (Sverdlovsk Region), Volga (Bashkortostan, the Nizhny Novgorod region), Northwestern (Vologda Region), Central ( Bryansk region) and South (North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria) federal districts ", it is said in a forecast of emergency situations in Russia in 2012, prepared by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
Ecologists ask to conduct a parliamentary investigation on the project of the West Kamchatka shelf drilling Drilling and folowing collapse of “Kola” oil-rig should be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. According to Kamchatka branch of the World Wildlife Fund, 47 non-governmental organizations addressed to the State Duma with such appeal. According to environmentalists, the "Gazflot" company, the «Gazprom» subsidiary, had holed illegally in the Sea of Okhotsk from the "Kola" platform. “The drilling project failed the state examination and had a negative opinion of the state environmental review at the start of drilling operations. That’s why civil society organizations demand organizing a parliamentary investigation of the whole exploring drilling project on the West Kamchatka shelf and of circumstances of happened tragedy, "- department representative said.
The EU excised airlines for exhaust emissions To fight against climate changes, since January 1, 2012 the European Union had excised for burning material emissions in the atmosphere. Thus, all airlines, flying to the EU countries, are obliged to obtain quotas for greenhouse gas emissions proportionally to their quantity of transportations, and to carry out monitoring, accounting and controlling emissions. Air carriers were ordered to acquire quotas on the emission in accord with estimate 85% from emissions in 2010 - free of charge, but rest 15% should be paid. The EU has assured that the allocation of greenhouse gas emissions for the aviators will reduce by 5%. According to the European Commission, air transportations are about 3% of exhaust emissions on the EU’s territory. Russian Transport Ministry offers to prohibit Russian airlines to pay quotas on greenhouse gas emissions. In general about 4000 air carriers from different countries should correspond to this demand. Source - Rossiyskaya Gazeta
The Russian government approved the concept of specially protected natural reservations system by 2020 The Russian Government approved the concept of specially protected natural reservations system (SPNR) of federal importance till 2020. It was prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on behalf of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The concept aims to increase the efficiency of public administration in the organization and functioning of SPNR of federal importance, environmental security, protection of biological and landscape diversity, conservation and sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage. The document examines the improvement of legislation and governance, economic, financial and staffing of SPNR, the organization of protection of natural systems, cultural heritage preservation, tourism development, international cooperation and geographical network of protected areas. In particular, it provides for the establishment of 11 new nature reserves, 20 national parks and 3 federal reserves.
The problem of APG burning in Russia will be solved within three to five years Work on implementation of government regulations on the use and utilization of associated petroleum gas (APG) will be completed within three to five years, the head of Rostekhnadzor Nikolay Kutin said. Responding to questions from senators in the "government hour", he recalled that the government decree provided for the completion of this work by January 1 2012, however, he acknowledged, the deadline will not be sustained. "Companies do relevant works, but they will be only completed in the next few years because it takes time for various bureaucratic procedures, as well as ordering and installation of necessary equipment", Kutin said. However, he expressed confidence that "in the next few years the problem" in preparation for disposal and utilization of associated gas in Russia will be solved. He also said that Rostekhnadzor prepares legislative proposals that will be a new way to regulate the procedure of examination of industrial facilities safety. "It is proposed to entrust the duty of good examination to experts and give them an opportunity to examine the enterprises under contracts with business entities", the head of department said. According to him, the implementation of these proposals will reduce the pressure on the business of the state and eliminate the corruption component.
Almost 25 thousand underwater potentially dangerous objects (UPDO) located in internal waters and territorial sea of Russia, contain solid radioactive waste, Deputy Head of special operations in the waters of the Department Fire and Rescue Forces Emergency Situations Ministry, Oleg Kuznetsov said. The registry compiled by experts of MES - the so-called "book of maritime hazards" - includes information about objects in the Baltic, Barents, White, Kara, Okhotsk, Black Seas and the Sea of Japan, as well as in the Russian sector of the Pacific Ocean. According to Kuznetsov, there "is everything" under water including the sunken nuclear submarines, ships carrying ammunition and petroleum, and chemical and radioactive wastes. It has been investigating for the past 15 years by experts of MES Russia. The potential danger of underwater objects is that due to corrosion processes in sea water, metal shell may eventually collapse and hazardous substances fall into the water. "The registry UPDO included more than 24 thousand individual objects that contain solid radioactive waste and are located mainly at depths of up to 500 meters", Kuznetsov said. "Monitoring of underwater dangerous objects is systemic in nature and in the case of a real threat to the environment and humans it will be the basis for the adoption of adequate measures to eliminate such danger by the state," he said. According to him, reactor compartments of nuclear submarines that are in the bays of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, and radioisotope power systems, flooded near Sakhalin Island are of particularly dangerous. | ||||||||
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The results of satellite monitoring of pollution of the Sakhalin shelf are summed up 
Russian first hybrid bus testing starts in Tatarstan 
