Ecologists Protest Against Dangerous Oil Projects

The development of an oil deposit in the Kaliningrad region may damage a national park

It has been recently decided to establish the coalition of Russian public organizations to protect the environment against dangerous oil projects. Ecological organizations have held actions of unity in various cities of Russia to protest against the D6 project. In addition, ecologists are going to sue the Russian government.

Spokespeople for Russia's 30 leading ecological organizations - from Sakhalin and Chukotka regions in the east to the Kaliningrad region in the west - asked the government and the president of Russia to prohibit the implementation of the D6 project. The project is connected with the development of the Kravtsovskoye oil deposit on the Baltic Sea shelf (the deposit is being developed by the company Lukoil-Kaliningradmorneft). In addition, ecologists want to prevent similar projects in the future as well, because they can cause considerable damage to the Kurshskaya Kosa national park included on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The decision was the result of the conference "New Strategy of Public Companies to Protect the Environment Against Dangerous Oil Projects," which has recently taken place in the Kaliningrad region. Greenpeace, International Social and Ecological Union, the World Environmental Foundation, the Russian Ecological Center, Ecodefense and many other organizations took place in the conference. The discussion was organized by Ecodefense and Civil Liberties Fund.

Ecologists decided to sue the Russian government to protect the environment against dangerous oil projects. Ecodefense group conducted actions of protest in various cities and towns of Russia during September 11-16th. As an alternative to the oil development of the region, ecologists suggest the development of tourism to attract investments. Actions of protest took place in Voronezh, Vladimir, Ekaterinburg, Nizhni Novgorod, Oryol, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan.

"Dangerous oil projects are a very big problem for a lot of Russian regions, including the Kaliningrad region. We are happy that Russia's largest ecological organizations have joined our efforts to save the Kurshskaya Kosa national park. It is an important environmental experience too," Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the Ecodefense group stated.