ROSATOM and Moscow State University’s Marine Research Centre sign cooperation agreement on environmental impact assessment in Arctic
ROSATOM says it signed a cooperation agreement with Moscow State University’s Marine Research Centre in St. Petersburg in the framework of the ROSATOM-organised event “Arctic Day.”
According to IAA PortNews correspondent, the agreement was signed by ROSATOM’s special representative for Arctic development Vladimir Panov and the Director General of Moscow State University’s Marine Research Centre Dmitry Korost.
The agreement aims to make possible pilot projects for the comprehensive research and monitoring of surface and underwater environmental safety in the water area of Russia’s Arctic region.
According to ROSATOM’s Director General Alexey Likhachev, the development of a preliminary programme for the regular assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities along the NSR, including the operation of nuclear facilities, on the Arctic environment is consistent with the goals stipulated in Russia’s Development Strategy for the Arctic Zone. The programme would be built on the back of both domestic and international experience in environmental assessment. “We must look at coastal and transit shipping in the Arctic as well as at NSR port infrastructure, at the stage of both construction and operation, through the lens of environmental safety. Any of our actions in the Arctic should preemptively undergo a serious environmental impact assessment,” said Aleksey Likhachev.
“Over the coming year, a group of international experts will be formed and will start developing a set of monitoring and environmental protection measures based on the best global practices, as well as implementing an effective mechanism for assessing data from international, federal, regional, and local sources on the environmental impact of the operation of the NSR and on the measures being undertaken for the protection [of the Arctic],” said Dmitry Korost.
