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Clean Pechora don’t like the dirty company

Residents of the Izhemsk district said «NO» to LUKOIL-Komi LLC on their land again

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More than 190 people took part in the protest rally in the village Schelyayur of the Izhemsk district today. They were protesting against the exploitative attitude of "LUKOIL - Komi" LLC, which people believe violates environmental safety standards, so the nature is suffering: the local population complains that traditional places of collecting mushrooms and berries are polluted, and fish caught in the river often smells like oil. That is why the participants of the meeting appealed to the head and deputies of the State Council of Komi, that they have made proposal to the Russian State Duma to change the system of tax deductions. According to them, extracting companies must transfer a significant part of the funds to local budgets and local authorities should be able to use them to restore the environment and on social needs. Also Izhemtsy deemed the work of Rosprirodnadzor, prosecutors, and regional environmental committee unsatisfactory, accusing them of toothless and inability to effectively monitor the activities of oil companies.


 

Photo from www.m-iz.ru

As social activist, deputy editor of the independent newspaper "Veskyd Syorni" Nikolai Bratenkov told «7x7», the protest rally was attended by 13 residents of the Izhemsk settlements. People came with posters. "Clean Pechora don’t like company ", "LUKOIL, do you sell your for petrodollars?", "Stop soil our land!" These are just some of them.

Speakers recalled that representatives of "LUKOIL-Komi" LLC met with the residents of the area three times, but these negotiations led to nothing. Let us recall that the people demanded oil companies to cease activities in the region until their demands has been fulfilled.

“Our ancestors developed the lands and left them to us with the hope that we, our children and grandchildren will live here and use the lands carefully. But the other times have come. People who are not interested in our and our children's future came to our land. They are only interested in the wealth of our mineral resources, which they want to take away, leaving behind a lifeless space,” said in the resolution of the meeting. “We won’t keep silent any longer! We sacrificed too much for so-called "generosity" of oil companies. Our culture and history can’t be replaced by pipelines and drilling rigs! We don’t need mere pittance! Our lifestyle determines our people, and we call the Komi-Izhemtsy to unite to fight for our land and our nature. Our land and culture should be preserved for future generations.”


 

According to Nikolai Bratenkov, representatives of "LUKOIL-Komi" LLC, including executive director Pyotr Oboronkov, were invited to the rally but they didn’t come. And the head of the Izhemsk district administration Igor Norkin sent his deputy to the rally.

Locals set oilers ultimatum once again: either they change their environmental policies, no longer hide violations, provide the maximum number of jobs to Izhemtsy, increase financial assistance to the municipality, or cease its activity in the area.

People also expressed mistrust in inspection and supervisory authorities, which, in their opinion, sometimes turn a blind eye to violations of law.

Another appeal was addressed to the head and deputies of the Komi State Council. Izhemtsy asked them to send letters to the State Duma — to consider the issue of changing the system of tax deductions. Residents want a big part of the tax to be paid to the regional and district budgets.

All the participants of the rally unanimously voted for the resolution.

“This is just the beginning. We are sure that rallies will be also held in other places. In early June, the protest event will be held in the Usinsk district  Residents o of Ust-Usa, Kolva, and Novikbozh will express their position on the activity of oilers on their land,” Nikolai Bratenkov said.

Today it was reported that "LUKOIL-Komi" LLC got the right to explore and produce of hydrocarbon on the Lebedinsky area in Komi. Oilers paid 157.5 million rubles for the right to use the subsoil. It was reported by the "Oil and Gas Information Agency".


 

Resolution

“Three meetings of the district residents with representatives of "LUKOIL-Komi" LLC had produced no results. They don’t hear us, they don’t understand us. So here we are at the rally, so we, the participants of the rally on May 30 in Schelyayur, declare that we no longer want to passively watch the barbaric destruction of our lands and river pollution. We require oil companies to change their policies and to listen to our voice.

Our ancestors developed the lands and left them to us with the hope that we, our children and grandchildren will live here and use the lands carefully. But the other times have come. People who are not interested in our and our children's future came to our land. They are only interested in the wealth of our mineral resources, which they want to take away, leaving behind a lifeless space.

We won’t keep silent any longer! We sacrificed too much for so-called "generosity" of oil companies. Our culture and history can’t be replaced by pipelines and drilling rigs! We don’t need mere pittance! Our lifestyle determines our people, and we call the Komi-Izhemtsy to unite to fight for our land and our nature. Our land and culture should be preserved for future generations.

We can’t resist the pressure of the oil companies singly. We call people from other oil-producing regions of our republic, all the indigenous peoples of the North to abandon the silent and humble observation of the destruction of our lands and rivers, the foundation of our life.

Either "LUKOIL" LLC changes its policy of committing and concealing of violations of environmental laws, changes its economic policy — to pump as much oil as possible at any price, changes its policy of engagement with the local community and builds it on the principles of partnership — with the provision of the maximum number of jobs for local residents, with a significant change in the content of annual agreements on behalf of rural settlements,

OR

We say "NO" to LUKOIL in our area!

We appeal to the Head of the Komi Republic and its parliament demanding to apply to the State Duma of the Russian Federation with the following initiative — companies, similar to Lukoil, must make full tax revenues to local budgets — up to the district.

We also deem the work of Rosprirodnadzor, prosecutors, and regional environmental committee unsatisfactory, because of their toothless and inability to effectively monitor the activities of oil companies…

Attended the rally — 190 people.

Voted "for" the resolution — 190 people.”

Maxim Polyakov , «7x7»

Original: http://7x7-journal.ru/item/42838

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