In response to environmentalists’ criticism, a few Olympic facilities in Sochi are likely to be moved to different locations. Prime Minister Putin supported the idea of their relocation at meeting on the 2014 Olympics environmental compliance
The water intake, the bobsled and luge complex, and the Olympic village were initially to be built in the vicinity of the Grushevoy Range in the Western Caucasus National Park. Putin said the mistakes made by the games organizers in construction planning had resulted from poor coordination and insisted on an obligatory environmental inspection of every Olympic facility.
The idea of relocating the bobsled and luge complex and the Olympic village was first expressed early in June by UNEP representatives who supported the position of WWF and Greenpeace Russia. At that time, Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev criticized the environmentalists and said their claims were “detrimental to Russia’s image”, because the bob track would do no harm to the environment. Putin’s statement shows that the minister was wrong.
The facilities’ relocation will require additional expenditures. Some experts’ calculations, however, show that it may be less costly. The luge and bob track construction costs, estimated at 4.29 bn rubles, included infrastructure. Relocation may reduce infrastructure expenditures essentially.
Yesterday, Vladimir Putin also met with Jean–Claude Killy, Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission, and told him that ecological issues would prevail over financial matters in Olympic facilities’ construction.
Sharing the environmentalists’ joy over their victory in the dispute with government officials, WWF Director Igor Chestin assessed Putin’s decision as positive. “This settles the environmental safety problem in Olympic facilities’ construction. Yet matters of investors’ construction culture remain, but they can be resolved as work proceeds,” he said.
Alyona Sedlak
Illustration: Comstock complete / Fotolink
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