The Baikal pulp and paper plant (BCBK) has been poisonong the unique Lake Baikal with its waste waters for almost 40 years, but this week it suddenly became surrounded by an scandal. Rosprirodnadzor, Russia's enviromental authority, wants the factory to be closed by a court decision. Furthermore, officials want BCBK to pay 475 mln. rubles (about 19 mln. US dollars) for damaging the lake and have forwarded results of their investigation at the plant to the Interior Ministry
Rosprirodnadzor's vice head Oleg Mitvol said BCBK is using Baikal's waters illegally and that the plant's waste waters that also flow to the lake have a concentration of some dangerous subsances exceeding norm by thousands of times.
The conflict between BCBK and Mr Mitvol began in November, when Rosprirodnadzor conducted an inspection at the plant. The check revealed the facility's permission to use Baikal's waters had expired. BCBK was fined, and an inspection report was sent to a special commission created by Natural Resource Minister Yuri Trutnev. The latter stated that the Ministry would ask a court to suspend the plant's work until a long-awaited close-loop water system is installed. He also that if BCBK and Continental management (a company running the facility) so far have shown no interest in changing the situation, and that the officials had to 'stimulate' them to do something.
BCBK management said they could not agree with he inspection results and have already filed a complaint with Irkutsk Arbitrary Court about Rosprirodnadzor's decision (the same court is to review the authority's suit against the plant). According to Continental Management, the insulated water system has already been built, but under an agreement with regional administration, the plant also had to build sewage treatment facilities for the local town of Baikalsk. And as BCBK failed to fulfill this task on time, they received a permission from the local authorities not to launch the close-loop system until next summer. The plant applied for a new license to use Baikal's waters, but received a rejection.
Leonid Sirotkin, Continental Management director for ecology, believes there must be some 'political' backgroung behind the conflict. "Only our plant is under fire, while so many businesses in the country cannot receive a water license", he said.
Already in November, Oleg Mitvol was saying a criminal case could be initiated against the BCBK, and the idea received support of many environmentalists, including Greenpeace Russia.
So far, Rosprirodnadzor wants the plant to pay 475 mln. rubles (about 19 mln. US dollars) for the damage BCBK allegedly caused in the period of November 4-11. Most likely, the fine will grow as the business persists to disagree with the authority.
For Baikalsk, a local town with 30 percent adult citizens working at the BCBK, is not happy with the plant's possible closure. Municipal authorities say it could kill the town's economy, as most businesses will also have to close.
The whole story really seems to have political schemes behind it. Firstly, the Baikal pulp and paper plant has existed for almost 40 years, poisoning the clear waters of the lake, paying little attention to attacks from environmentalists or officials. Rosprirodnadzor's special focus on BCBK can be explained but he unique nature of Baikal - fighting for Russia's biggest and world's deepest lake is a great advertising opportunity. And what is also important, if the plant continues pollute the lake, the plans to create a tourist recreation and free economy zone on the shores of Baikal may fail.
Dmitry Verkhoturov
Photo: Greenpeace
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