Rosprirodnadzor to extend Sakhalin-2 check
Russian natural resource watchdog Rosprirodnadzor has applied to extend its check into Sakhalin-2 perations by a month and is preparing materials to revoke the project's water use license, Dmitry Belanovich, acting director of the Rosprirodnadzor Sakhalin department, said at a meeting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Wednesday dealing with the problem of ensuring the environmental safety of the project.
He said that the existing Sakhalin-2 documentation differs significantly from the approved feasibility study.
Belanovich said that the check on the Sakhalin-2 project in September-October this year uncovered significant violations of environmental legislation. In particular, there have been violations of forestry regulations: about 570 km of a pipeline passes through forests.
In addition, the project's subcontracts are illegally storing soil on the territory of state forests, he said He also said that subcontractors are illegally felling trees and that are not removing the felled trees from the forest, which creates a fire hazard. He said that a case has already been opened over administrative violations arising from illegal forestry operations.
In addition, Belanovich said that the Rosprirodnadzor commission uncovered multiple violations of water legislation, and the company's compensation payments to rectify these may amount to $100 million.
"Rectifying these violations will not take three years, as claimed by the company, but 10 years," he said.
According to plan, in November a commission of representatives from the Academy of Sciences and Rosprirodnadzor are to evaluate the flora and fauna in Aniva Bay. According to preliminary information, damage from the construction of an liquefied natural gas plant on the shore of
Aniva Bay amounts to 10 billion rubles.
Belanovich said that the operator of the project "does not want to cooperate with the inspecting bodies and is not providing the requested documentation." "Since the commission was set up we have sent over 50
requests for documents, but they were not supplied," he said.
He also said that the project operator is underestimating the danger of processes on Sakhalin and ignoring the conclusions of the inspection commission.
Natural Resource Minister Yury Trutnev said at the meeting that after visiting one of the pipelines being built as part of the Sakhalin-2 project, he has "many questions for the managers of the project, construction bodies and also territorial departments of Rosprirodnadzor, who did not ensure timely control and oversight."
He said that the existing Sakhalin-2 documentation differs significantly from the approved feasibility study.
Belanovich said that the check on the Sakhalin-2 project in September-October this year uncovered significant violations of environmental legislation. In particular, there have been violations of forestry regulations: about 570 km of a pipeline passes through forests.
In addition, the project's subcontracts are illegally storing soil on the territory of state forests, he said He also said that subcontractors are illegally felling trees and that are not removing the felled trees from the forest, which creates a fire hazard. He said that a case has already been opened over administrative violations arising from illegal forestry operations.
In addition, Belanovich said that the Rosprirodnadzor commission uncovered multiple violations of water legislation, and the company's compensation payments to rectify these may amount to $100 million.
"Rectifying these violations will not take three years, as claimed by the company, but 10 years," he said.
According to plan, in November a commission of representatives from the Academy of Sciences and Rosprirodnadzor are to evaluate the flora and fauna in Aniva Bay. According to preliminary information, damage from the construction of an liquefied natural gas plant on the shore of
Aniva Bay amounts to 10 billion rubles.
Belanovich said that the operator of the project "does not want to cooperate with the inspecting bodies and is not providing the requested documentation." "Since the commission was set up we have sent over 50
requests for documents, but they were not supplied," he said.
He also said that the project operator is underestimating the danger of processes on Sakhalin and ignoring the conclusions of the inspection commission.
Natural Resource Minister Yury Trutnev said at the meeting that after visiting one of the pipelines being built as part of the Sakhalin-2 project, he has "many questions for the managers of the project, construction bodies and also territorial departments of Rosprirodnadzor, who did not ensure timely control and oversight."
