Translated material
In spite of the records
Greenpeace Russia was not invited to participate in the examination of Olympic projects
The leaders of the Russian branch of the international environmental organization Greenpeace were very surprised to learn that they were included in the expert commission of the organizing committee of the Sochi Olympics and that, perhaps, their name would be used to cover up active construction activities in specially protected natural areas.The head of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Vladimir Gusev, announced his intention to involve ecologists in expert work last Thursday. According to him, “the government and the organizing committee for preparations for the Olympics have created a special environmental council, to which Russian and foreign ecologists have been invited, as well as international environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.” In order to avoid destruction of the ecosystem of the Black Sea coast and Krasnaya Polyana, Mr. Gusev explained, “all Olympic sports facilities will undergo an environmental assessment throughout the entire development complex in Sochi.”
Executive Director of Greenpeace Russia Sergei Tsyplenkov said that environmentalists certainly welcome the initiatives voiced by the deputy and are not against their participation in the examination of Olympic venues, but Greenpeace has not received any invitation from the state. Moreover, according to the Greens, Mr. Gusev’s words are at odds with the actions of officials. “We must remind you that currently, federal law No. 232-FZ of December 18, 2006 has canceled the state environmental assessment of all types of design documentation, including sports facilities,” says the letter sent by the executive director of the Russian Greenpeace Mr. Gusev. Mr. Tsyplenkov recalled that the bill providing for the restoration of the institution of state environmental assessment of economic activity at specially protected natural sites was “stuck” in the State Duma at the stage of the first reading.
But now the lower house is considering a draft of the so-called “Olympic law”, which makes it possible to withdraw lands from the jurisdiction of nature reserves and national parks “in connection with the organization and holding of the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the XI Winter Paralympic Games of 2014 in the city of Sochi.” “The adoption of the bill will entail a massive violation of not only the environmental principles embedded in the Russian legal system, but also international agreements. At a minimum, the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of UNESCO and others will be violated,” warns Sergei Tsyplenkov.
As for the “mysterious” statement by the head of the Duma Committee on Ecology, Greenpeace suggests that this is an attempt to make a favorable impression on officials of the International Olympic Committee . “You can remember that at the end of August the IOC commission came to determine how the country is preparing for the future Olympics,” Greenpeace Russia press secretary Evgenia Belyakova told Vremya Novostei.
On August 28, Greenpeace met with members of this commission and conveyed their conclusion to them. The main complaint of environmentalists concerns the construction of a luge and bobsleigh track in the area of the Pear Ridge, which belongs to the Sochi National Park and is located in the buffer zone of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve. “It is also planned to build an Olympic village on the border of the reserve. But this is a unique territory included by UNESCO in the World Heritage List,” says Ms. Belyakova. According to her, there is no talk of any productive dialogue between environmentalists and officials yet.
“Back in February, when the IOC inspection commission arrived, an advisory council was created under the Ministry of Economic Development and a similar council under the Ministry of Natural Resources,” the press secretary of Greenpeace Russia told Vremya Novostey. Then, according to her, it was announced that the Olympic federal target program would undergo an examination, and all decisions on the development of the Sochi Forest Park and other territories would be made after consultations with environmentalists. “But in fact, the council under the Ministry of Natural Resources, which included Greenpeace, met only once - in April, and since then no work has been carried out, in fact there is no dialogue. And Greenpeace was not and is not a member of the advisory council under the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, whose conclusions are more important when making decisions,” complained Ms. Belyakova.