November 16, 2013

On 14 November the Appeal Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation agreed with the Supreme Court decision and recognized the gold mining in the Yugyd Va National Park (the Komi Republic) illegal.The Court recognized as not corresponding to the Russian legislation the adopted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Park regulations that excludes from its territory the Chudnoye gold mining deposit. By this the dot was putted in more than 3-years fight of Greenpeace and other environmental organizations for restoration of the first Russian World Natural Heritage property “Virgin Komi Forests” integrity.

MNR representatives could not convince the judges that the territory of Chudnoye deposit was never included in the park. The unpleasant surprise for them was the represented by Greenpeace map that supports the fact that during the park creation the Chudnoye deposit was completely included into its boundaries.

The attempts to withdraw this territory from the park were undertaken repeatedly. In 1997 the Head of the Komi Republic with his decree had withdrew from the park boundaries 200,000 ha of the unique mountain golets area. This decree was abolished in the court. In 2004 the Komi Government again tried to withdraw the plot for gold mining from the park. This attempt was removed by Prosecutor’s office after Greenpeace statement. In 2009 the head of Inta city tried to withdraw the plot occupied by the Chudnoye deposit with the area of 1.9 thousand ha. This decision was cancelled by the court by the Prosecutor’s office suit.

After that the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation that replies for the protection of the specially protected areas and of the World Natural Heritage properties supported the gold miners and adopted the new regulations of the National Park excluding the Chudnoye deposit from its territory. Rosnedra that are within the jurisdiction of the MNR immediately gave to the Gold Minerals Close Corporation (its owners are registered on Cyprus) the license for deposit development. The geological prospecting (including explosive) works started on the territory of the World Heritage property.

The World Heritage Committee during several years declared that any withdrawal of lands as well as prospecting and gold mining threat to the Outstanding Universal Value of the object and demanded the park integrity from Russia.

In 2012 the Greenpeace position was supported by the General Prosecutor’s Office. But MNR persistently continues to protect the “Cyprus gold miners” interests. As it became known it prepares the documents about the withdrawal from the park even larger territory – 48,000 ha. Nearly 30,000 thousand have to be withdrawn in the Chudnoye deposit area. It became clear that even more scale development of the unique territory is planned. Greenpeace applied to the SupremeCourt. On August 21 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation agreed with Greenpeace Russia arguments and recognized the gold mining in the Yugyd Va National Park illegal.

The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation appealed against that judicial decision. On 14 November the Appeal Board affirmed the RF Supreme Court’s decision.

However MNR is preparing to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision. The Ministry prepares the draft of the new regulation about the Yugyd Va National Park. There is a paragraph that “movement and vehicles parking outside roads and specially designed places are prohibited except in connection with functioning of the national Park and vehicle use by users of land plots located within national park boundaries”. It mains that users of land plots located within national park boundaries are free to move and stop practical throughout the Park. Not hard to guess that the gold miners not to fail to take advantage of such a circumvention. If the new regulation about the Yugyd Va National Park starts the northern nature will be damaged not only in the Chudnoye deposit area but also far beyond its line. However the Ministry has rejected any comments to the new regulation and sent it to the Ministry of Justice for registration.

http://www.regnum.ru/news/1733519.html

http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/en/news/02-september-komizolotoscourt/

http://www.transparentworld.ru/ru/environment/monitoring/oopt/yugydva/