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The Newsletter of
the
Socio-Ecological Union
A Center for Coordination
and Information
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Moscow, Russia -- Issue 6(28),
May, 2002 FOR URGENT REACTION
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW LUKOIL DRILLING PROJECT FOR BALTIC SEA
NEW LUKOIL PROJECT BRING MORE HARM TO BALTIC NATURE
D6 project is a threat for Curonian Spit existance
June, 3 is the deadline for the public hearings on Lukoil company project D6 (Kravtsovskoye oil
mining). According to our experts, to fight the consequences of any possible breakdown the removal
of huge amounts of sand at Curonian Spit is required. This is a major threat for existance of the
unique Nature Reserve, which is included to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
As a SEU expert Alexey Grigoriev states that documents prepared by Lukoil to the public hearings are
incomplete, particularly there are no alternative variations mentioned, as well as an analyse of
possible impacts on tourism, fisheries and general socio-economic development of the region. Working
exprience of Baltic oil minings shows that there are no technologies which can guarantee the absence
of breakdowns that can pose under a threat not only Baltic environment but business reputation of
the region.
Appeal to environmental NGOs from Russia and other countries
Colleagues!
We would like to inform You about new project of LUKOIL-KaliningradMorNeft (Kaliningrad division of
national company LUKOIL) company which suggest of installation of oil platform, drilling and
exploitation of Kravtsovskoe oilfield (D6) located at continental shelf of Baltic Sea about 22
kilometers offshore.
The most dangerous factor of this project is oilfield nearness to Curonian Spit National Park
including in list of the UNESCO World Heritage objects in December 2000. The distance from oil
platform and underwater pipeline to Kuronian Spit coast is 22 kilometers.
Also we would emphasize that existing undercurrent along Baltic coast in this area running from
south-west to north-east is able to move the oil spill in direction of Lithuania shore and
territorial water. Neverless LUKOIL experts have disclaimed the possibility of trans-boundary
transfer of oil spill and wouldn't plan any measures to prevent the possible pollution.
So, ignoring such treat, Lukoil-Kaliningradmorneft do not model possible situations of transboundary
pollution and do not plan serious measures to evade or liquidate such situation (for example,
systems for alarming foreign countries, common liquidation measures and so on).
We think that realization of such project as installation of oil drilling station at D6 on the shore
of Baltic Sea is a possible source of problems for Baltic Sea Countries and must be accessed
internationally.
* More information available at web-site www.ecodefense.ru
We ask those who oppose this project to send letters to the Governor of Kaliningrad Region of the
Russian Federation Mr.Vladimir Yegorov by fax
+7(0112)46-38-62
Letter sample
To the Governor of Kaliningrad Region
Mr. Governor!
We, representatives of (::name of Your NGO::) are anxious about perspectives of oil extracting at
the shelf of Baltic Sea. Drilling platform is locating in immediate closure from National park
Curonian Spit and threaten to its existence.
We would draw your attention to possibility of oil spills from platform, in that case the
environmental stress to Curonian Spit ecosystems would be have inadmissible scale.
In case of emergency situation and oil spill from platform itself or from pipeline, and as
consequence pollution of Curonian Spit shore cleaning of coastline would be possible only by
measures of mechanical removing of huge quantity of beach sand. But due the deficit of row materials
deposit at coastal zone of Curonian Spit the removing of sand will entail of intensification of
erosion processes of Spit and losing of unique ecosystem of Curonian Bay. (Part 6.1.2 of project
documentation, paragraph "Evaluation of consequences of oil spills for underwater and coastal
landscapes").
We suggest you to demand of improving of emergence plan from LUKOIL enterprise and enforce it to
implementation of supporting measures directed on conservation and preservation of National Park
ecosystems.
Finally the responsibility for all accidents in Kaliningrad region will lie down on you as you head
of Administration and we hope that your personal authority and positive image of Kaliningrad Region
will be found more valuable than short - term profit from oil extracting.
For more information:
Ecodefense! Group, Kaliningrad
Ecodefense@ecodefense.ru
Web: http://www.ecodefense.ru
Back to SEU Times home page
This issue was written and complied by
Sviatoslav Zabelin - the SEU Council Co-Chair, svet@seu.ru
Olga Berlova, Victoria Kolesnikova seupress@seu.ru
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