July 16, 2020
Deputies of the Russian Federation State Duma have passed bill in its third reading , which release the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian (Trans Sib) railroad construction projects from quite a few ecological restrictions, in particular, permitting clear-cut of the Baikal forests up till December 31, 2024.
An exception is being introduced into Federal Law on protection of Lake Baikal under which till December 31, 2024 in the central ecological zone of Baikal designated natural area certain types of activity necessary for actual carrying capacity increase of Baikal-Amur and Trans Sib railroads are acceptable. The law permits in the process of construction and modernization of railroad facilities to rezone the forest fund and then a clean-cut is acceptable.
A list of infrastructure facilities for which the Baikal forest clear-cutting is permitted will be specified by the Government. It is forbidden to include into this List the facilities designated for permanent or temporary residence as well as the facilities of recreation or any other activity not connected with the functioning of the Baikal-Amur and Trans Sib railroads.
The Federal Law on Specially Protected Nature Conservation Areas is amended by adding the term under which till December 31, 2024 the regional authorities, local government bodies can adopt decisions on changing the borders of regional or local specially protected nature conservation areas. They can exclude from the borders of such territories the lands if they are meant for construction within Baikal-Amur and Trans Sib railroads projects. Earlier, in December 2009, similar exception was adopted for the construction of the sports facilities for the Olympic Games in Sotchi – the law provided an opportunity to rent plots of land on the territories of the National Parks.
The Environmental Assessment Law is amended by adding the term under which till December 31, 2024 in the process of major construction of the facilities meant for modernization and enlargement of the trunk infrastructure within the borders of the specially protected nature conservation areas it is required to carry out the state expert appraisal of the project documentation, the State Environmental Assessment is not obligatory. In this case the trunk infrastructure modernization includes not only Baikal-Amur and Trans Sib railroad construction projects, but all-purpose roads, bridges, sea, and river ports as well. A list of infrastructure facilities assumed to have some environmental exemptions will be approved by the Russian Federation Government.
At the same time without time limit an environmental assessment for the construction of the infrastructure facilities on the regional Specially Protected Nature Conservation Areas is canceled.
Some time ago Mikhail Kreindlin, the program leader on Specially Protected Nature Conservation Areas of the Greenpeace branch in Russia has warned that UNESCO could be discontented with the adoption of this Law as Baikal is considered to be UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site.
“This could lead together with other cases to the situation when UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site Baikal would be reclassified to World Nature Heritage Site under threat, that is complete dishonor for any state.”- said the expert. He also drew attention to the fact that for the construction Baikal-Amur and Trans Sib railroads within the Baikal area Environmental Assessment had been canceled as well.
“Now practically any facility, linked with transport infrastructure, could be built on the Baikal shores, and as consequences this will negatively impact the state of the lake Baikal and result in overflowing”, - warned the expert.
The Law will go into effect from the day of its official publication.
Sources:
https://www.interfax.ru/russia/717450
https://greenpeace.ru/blogs/2020/07/20/chinovniki-hotyat-obnulit-baikal/
Translated into English by A.Nikiforov