The appeal of Siberian scientists concerning Baikal Pulp Mill
Siberian scientists appeal to Putin not to allow the restart of Baikal Pulp Mill.
From: Russian Academy of Sciences
Siberian Branch
Irkutsk Scientific Centre
Office of the
Siberian Branch
Buryat
Scientific Centre
of Russian Federation
V.V.Putin
Dear Prime Minister,
In connection with the Decree of the Russian Federation of 13th
January 2010 #1 “On amendments
to the
list of activities banned in the Central Ecological Zone of the Lake Baikal
Natural Territory” a situation has been created allowing for the renewal of
pulp production with the discharge of waste waters into Lake Baikal and the
accumulation of waste of all categories of danger on the shore of this unique
lake. The Decree is aimed at the renewal of operations at the Baikalsk Pulp
Mill and use of 40 year old production technology that fails to satisfy present
day requirements and allows for the emission of ill-smelling and harmful
substances into the atmosphere that can be detected at distances of up to 70
kilometres and are an obstacle to the development of tourism in the area.
From the very beginning of its operation the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill
(BPPM) has been a cause of discord between the government and society. It was
the Baikalsk Mill that stimulated the development of the environmental movement
in our country and today it remains a catastrophic threat not only to the lake
but to the whole world.
The renewal of pulp production at the Baikalsk Pulp Mill with wastewater
discharge violates Russia’s obligations concerning the protection of a common
human value: the World Natural Heritage Site Lake Baikal, and also contravenes
the requirements of the Russian Federal law “On the protection of Lake Baikal”, and prevents the development of
really economically sound and environmentally acceptable projects for the
development of the town of Baikalsk on the basis of Lake Baikal’s natural
potential: tourism and recreation, bottled water production and so on.
It seems to us that the funds
that are planned to subsidise the renewal of pulp production at BPPM would most likely
be more wisely directed towards support for former mill personnel and on re-profiling
production in the town of
the town into a tourist centre could solve many questions relating to local
employment. Apart from that, it would be possible to develop the production of
medicinal products from Siberian larch, manufacture of silicon solar panels and
modules, and other kinds of production that are planned for Irkutsk Oblast in
the near future.
Finally, the production of bottled Baikal water, so
urgently required in
Mill continues to operate.
It should be remembered that when Baikal received the
status of World Natural Heritage Site,
Now this promise has been forgotten and this has caused a negative reaction in
the world community.
Prime Minister, we recall with gratitude your decision
to remove the
For this reason we are addressing you with the request to be consistent in the
matter of Baikal’s conservation: to ban pulp production in the Central
Ecological Zone of Lake Baikal and preserve the “planet’s well” for the welfare
of
Please find attached to this letter an analysis of the
ecological consequences that could come about as a result of renewal of pulp
production at BPPM with the discharge of waste waters into Baikal.
Signed:
B.V.Bazarov – Chairman of the Presidium of the Office
of the
the Siberian Branch of the
I.V.Bychkov – Chairman of the Presidium, Irkutsk
Scientific Centre SB RAS, corresponding member of RAS.
V.I.Voronin – Deputy Director of the Office of the
Russian Academy of Sciences of the Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and
Biochemistry SB RAS, Ph.D.
M.I.Kuzmin – Chairman of the Scientific Council SB
RAS on questions concerning
Office of the
SB RAS, Academician.
V.M.Pliusnin – Acting Director of the Office of the
Russian Academy of Sciences of the V.B.Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS,
Ph.D.
V.S.Rukavishnikov – Deputy Chair of the Presidium East
Siberian Scientific Centre SB RA of Medical Sciences, Acting Director of the
East Siberian Scientific Centre of Human Ecology SB RAMS, Director of the
Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Medicine and Human Ecology,
Corresponding member of RAMS.
G.I.Tatkov – Director of the
B.A.Trofimov – Director of the Office of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk Favorskii Institute of Chemistry, Siberian Branch,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician.
A.K.Tulokhonov – Director of the Baikal Institute of
Natural Resource Use, SB RAS, corresponding member, RAS.
L.L.Ubugunov — Director of the
Professor.