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Open letter to the President of the Russian Federation |
  Igor Chestin, WWF-Russia CEO and Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources Valentin Stepankov WWF-Russia supports the Russian President’s initiative to commission the Emergency Situations Ministry to estimate the risks brought on by the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline project. Here is the letter sent to President Putin by WWF-Russia CEO Igor Chestin. WWF-Russia supports the Russian President’s initiative to commission the Emergency Situations Ministry to estimate the risks brought on by the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline project. Here is the letter sent to President Putin by WWF-Russia CEO Igor Chestin. Mr. President, Baikal needs your political will! WWF-Russia supports your decision to commission the Emergency Situations Ministry to make an expert estimation of the risks of the Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline project. We share the stance of the local governments of Lake Baikal region, of the Russian Academy of Sciences and of non-governmental organizations, according to which the oil pipeline must not be built by Transneft too close to Lake Baikal. As all our colleagues, we realize the importance of petroleum export to states of Asia-Pacific Region and if the construction of the oil pipeline is the most economically justified decision, than it should be constructed. But there is a great difference between building an oil pipeline and placing a technogenic mine that may explode at any time and lead to catastrophic economic and ecological consequences. This idea was already expressed in the statement of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation on March 21, 2006. You also told me at the reception on the Day of National Reconciliation and Consent on November 4, 2005, that it is essential to build the pipeline, but the exact route should be decided by experts. The experts have voiced their opinion. According to the data of profiled institutions of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, that have studied the geology and seismology of the Asian part of Russia for decades, the pipeline route proposed by the company crosses the territory capable of earthquakes up to 10-12 points. In case of a pipeline rupture as much as three thousand tons of oil may reach Lake Baikal – it is enough to cover half of its surface with a thin film. In case of numerous ruptures caused by an extensive earthquake, which are rather likely, the amount of oil spilled increases significantly, as several sections will be broken. Even if we take into consideration the high quality of the pipelines made by Transneft and unprecedented security measures taken by the company, the earthquakes observed in this region will nevertheless lead to ruptures. That is why the expert committee of the state ecological expertise that studied the project for more than three months, came to the conclusion (of 46 experts out of 53) in late January, 2006, that the oil pipeline must not run 800 meters from the shore of Baikal. Our country doesn’t have specialists on the problem better than the scientists and engineers included in the committee, and the fact is acknowledged by the government represented by the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management (Rostekhnadzor) that arranged the expertise, by the company itself and by the public. Moreover, some members of the expert group, for instance, Alexey Kantorovich, had worked out the idea of an “eastern” pipeline long before it was picked up by Transneft and are well aware of the way it should be laid, so that the economy benefits and the environment is safe. Nevertheless, contrary to laws and common sense, instead of working out safe construction schemes that steer clear of the seismic zone with specialists, and instead of launching the important project, hardly concealed administrative measures were used. The federal agency Rostekhnadzor did not ratify the experts’ conclusion. Instead, it extended the deadline of the committee’s work and added to it 34 new members that have nothing to do with the oil and gas sector, or with geology, or with seismology. On learning about the impending danger, thousands of people protested in the streets of Irkutsk. According to the participants, such a great number of people hadn’t protested in Irkutsk since 1991. Both the switch from benefits to cash payments and the reform of the housing maintenance have not raised such a wave of protest as the threat to Baikal did. The indignant people were supported by the local governor and the head of the local legislative body who came up with a joint statement. Tens of thousands of signatures have been gathered for you with an appeal to protect Baikal. On the basis of appeals of local governments and recommendations of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, you were addressed by your Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal Region Anatoly Kvashnin. His detailed letter contained specific calculations and proposals for the oil pipeline route. However, the only result of this appeal was the meeting of scientists and the company’s representatives in the presence of the Deputy Minister for Industry and Energy that inevitably left everyone sticking to their previous opinion. The State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly has also taken part in the process. On April 5 the Duma passed a rather controversial Water Code, and as soon as on April 12, contrary to all norms, it returned the code to the second reading, made changes in it and at once passed it both in the second and third readings. There is only one reason for this: according to the law on introducing the Water Code, the water protection zone of Lake Baikal was established – by an “oversight” – in accordance with the World Heritage boundaries of the Site, which did not allow building the oil pipeline 800 meters from the lake shore. The deputies cared neither about the international responsibilities of the Russian Federation, nor about the appeals of local governments, nor about the statements of Irkutsk branches of all political parties including the United Russia, nor about thousands of people that gathered in the streets, nor about the opinion of the best Russian scientists. The business interests and administrative measures of Transneft overweighed. Today, on April 17, 2006, we learned about the possible dismissal of the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources Valentin Stepankov (Vedomosti, 17.04.2006). Taking into consideration his consistent principled stance according to which the environmental laws that are currently in force should be observed, including the case of Lake Baikal protection, we directly link his possible dismissal with the continuing administrative pressure on federal executive bodies and the beginning of a crackdown on unwanted officials, that have honestly exercised their duties and insisted on law observance. WWF supports your decision to create a committee in the Emergency Situations Ministry to estimate the project risks. Moreover, we know that the heads of the ministry involved best specialists for this work. At the same time, we have witnessed an evident pressure on government bodies and officials, scientists and media. Mr.President, as the Emergency Situations Ministry is accountable directly to you, I ask you to use your authority to ensure the independence of the created committee, to protect it from administrative pressure on its members and guarantee the transparency of its work. Sincerely yours, CEO, academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Igor Chestin
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