Feature story - 26 July, 2010
Two weeks ago the bathyscaphs “MIR” submerged not far from the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill. They took samples at a depth of 33 metres in the area of the waste water pipe from the Mill. Analyses were undertaken over the following two weeks.
As a result of these investigations chlorinated guaiacols – the products of lignin chlorination - were found in Lake Baikal. According to scientists, these are considered dangerous for aquatic ecosystems.
Mikhail Grachev, Director of the Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences: "We finished the analyses today and found there substances that are considered dangerous but for which there is no 'Maximum permitted limit.' Now, I think, the government should decide if the clause in the decree permitting the mill to operate should be annulled or whether the mill should go over to what was decided previously: to re-profile to a close-loop water system.
The Mill is now working at half-production with wastewater discharge. In the autumn it is planned that the Mill will be producing 7.5-8 thousand tons of pulp a month.
Staff of the West-Baikal Nature Protection Prosecution Office also found a number of infringements in the mill's operations. Together with Rosprirodnadzor have been studying BPPM operations over the past week but investigations are still in process. According to the data of the Nature Protection Prosecution Office, the Mill is polluting not only the waters, but also the atmosphere.
According to the deputy prosecutor of the West-Baikal Inter-District Prosecution Office, Anton Shevtsov, this year a number of instances have been registered when BPPM has discharged substances in concentrations higher than those permitted into Baikal. Amongst these are turpentine, oil products, lignin and others. The Procurator's Office considers that the waste water control laboratory at the Mill is not working as it should. It also accuses the mill of polluting the atmosphere.
There has been another violation noted by the Prosecution Office. Payment for environmental pollution established for such enterprises has not been made by the Mill this year. The debt for the first quarter alone amounts to 11.5 million roubles.
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