Acting head of Komi Vyacheslav Gaizer said that the leadership of the republic can support the amendments of "Greenpeace Russia" to the laws on mining and the environment. As planned, they should stimulate the oil companies to update the old pipelines, and thus to prevent oil spills. However, the members of the regional government should study in detail the environmentalists’ motions. After that it will be decided whether regional government initiates considering of these amendments in the State Duma.
Photo: Maxim Polyakov
Let us recall that experts of "Greenpeace Russia" prepared a report "Oil pollution: problems and possible solutions". There are 17 recommendations for changes in the regulatory framework, which would help to prevent oil spills and increase the responsibility and control of mining companies of their actions.
August 19, this report will be considered at a large round table in Usinsk, where a so-called "Oil Patrol" of Greenpeace has been acting for a week. This is the project of environmentalists, in which more than 40 activists and volunteers from different countries are engaged in search and cleaning of oil spills. Round table will be an important step in this project.
The previous day Vyacheslav Gaizer said that the country is ready to support the amendment of environmentalists in the case, if they won’t prevent the development of the economy in general and businesses in particular.
“First, we will work with the amendments they offer in order to understand their essence. In order to understand how these amendments will respond to strengthening oversight of environmental issues and how they will affect the development of the economy, the development of enterprises. Because these issues are related. After all, to limit the possibility of production — this is the easiest approach. And we need to find the compromise that will let the economy develop, and at the same time will comply with environmental regulations. If this approach will be proposed, then why not,” Vyacheslav Gaizer said.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Komi Roman Polshvedkin, who intends to attend the roundtable, said that not all the amendments will reach the level of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
“We got all these amendments, all of these 17 initiatives, a very long time ago. We considered them, some of them deserve to be supported. In the past year, the head of the Komi Republic and Lisin [Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Komi Yury Lisin] stated some of the initiatives that are now being reflected in these amendments. But some of the amendments are not legally confirmed by Greenpeace, which means they are initially impassable. We have compiled a table of differences and sent it to Chuprov [Vladimir Chuprov, chief of the energy program, "Greenpeace Russia"]. According to the results of the round table there will be a resolution or a protocol that will allow us to act in the future,” the official said.
Maxim Polyakov, «7x7»
