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Ecodefense
PRESS-RELEASE
Moscow, February 11, 2005
For more information in Moscow: +7(095)7766281, (903)2997584 - Ecodefense
(Vladimir Slivyak), e-mail: ecodefense@online.ru, http://www.antiatom.ru
SHOCK: STATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY BECAME PRO-NUCLEAR
Ecodefense urge government to establish separate agency for environmental
impact assessment that would not be dependent on any industry.
Russian administrative reform, launched by President Vladimir Putin a year
ago, which paralyzed activities of the most of state agencies, has come to
an end. Result of the reform is shoking - nuclear power industry has got
control over the state environmental impact assessment (EIA)' procedure,
also over the system of state environmental inspectorate.
Newly established Federal service on environmental, technological and
nuclear supervision (former Gosatomnadzor or GAN) obtained control over
several important procedures, including the state environmental impact
assessment in field of all types of the energy projects, and a function of
environmental inspectorate. No doubt about what industry will be a favorite
one in Russia if you know who is Andrey Malyshev - director for that Federal
Service. In 2002-2003 he was deputy minister for atomic power in Russia, in
2003-2004 - head of Gosatomnadzor which was later reformed into Federal
service on environmental, technological and nuclear supervision.
Andrey Malyshev became the most powerful lobbyist of the nuclear industry
interests in Russian government. He is responsible for issuing at least 5
new licenses through the last 2 years for the oldest and most dangerous
nuclear reactors in Russia, including of Chernobyl type, that already
finished original operation resource. It was also Malyshev who issued
permission for several nuclear waste import operations.
Before Putin' reform, the state environmental impact assessment was the last
effective instrument to prevent especially large industrial projects to
could be the most dangerous for environment. Now that instrument is in the
hands of nuclear power industry while all state agencies and ministries,
which dealt with environmental protection in the past, presently closed down
or doesn't have environmental protection responsibilities anymore.
"Presently, fair environmental impact assessment is dead in Russia, and that
is last step in destruction of the environmental protection system in
country. We urge Russian government to reverse its decision on EIA procedure
and establish strong independent EIA agency if it wants to save even a
little bit of the nature and its resources for the next generations", said
Vladimir Slivyak of Ecodefense, Russian environmental group that is part of
NIRS/WISE worldwide anti-nuclear alliance. "Moreover, according to members
of Russian parliament, Malyshev was involved into corruption schemes
established in Russian nuclear industry. Such man must not head any state
agencies, especially the one responsible for nuclear safety in country".
In late 2003, head of security committee in Russian State Duma (lower house
of national parliament) Viktor Ilyukhin demanded from FSB (ex-KGB) and
>Russian General Prosecutor to start investigation over involvement of Andrey
Malyshev into corruption schemes in the nuclear industry. Text of report
which Viktor Ilyukhin presented to FSB and Prosecutor can be found at:
http://www.antiatom.ru/pr/pr040218.htm (in Russian) |
