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| Buryatia Pipeline Threat |
| | Russian oil giant Yukos is planning to build a 2400 km oil pipeline from Angarsk (near Irkutsk, Siberia) to Datsin in China, right across the Tunkinsky National Park in Buryatia on the south shore of Lake Baikal (see TN39). Local government officials are attempting to change the park borders to allow the pipeline to pass. The park is covered with pristine taiga and is home to many rare species including snow leopard and Siberian ibex.
There is a vigorous local campaign to oppose the pipeline, which will come within 200 m of some of the Buryati people’s most sacred places. Local tourism operators fear contamination of the famous Tunkinskaya hot springs. The pipeline will cross areas with dangerous levels of seismic activity and through mountainous regions with severe climatic conditions so pipeline safety will be extremely difficult. There are fears that Lake Baikal could be polluted as a result of contamination of the Selenga, Jinda, Chikoy and Hilok rivers which feed the lake and must be crossed by the pipeline.
Environmental campaigners say the pipeline will breach federal environmental laws due to inadequate impact assessment. In costing its environmental impact it values a musk deer and a wild boar at 30 roubles (less than US$1) and a hare at a mere 2 roubles (5 cents). Agricultural land that will be used for the pipeline construction is not mentioned at all. |
| | Contact
Evgeniy Kislov, Republic Law Centre of Buryatia |
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