Scientist Suggests Solution of Tuzla Problem

Moscow thinks that a scientist from the Russian city of Kaliningrad can settle the Tuzla crisis
This scientist is Vadim Boldyrev who defended a thesis on peculiarities of the Strait of Kerch forty years ago. That was a wonderful thesis containing a wide range of research, air photography and vibration drilling of the sea bottom. No new or more fundamental research has been done since that time.

A week ago, Kiev "voiced the anxiety" over the situation in Tuzla in a press release of the Ukraine Government. The authorities say that the environment may be considerably damaged because of Russia's carelessness - the fish reserves of the bay will drastically reduce and the water area itself will be overgrown with algae.

Vadim Boldyrev thinks that the anxious party, Ukraine, has caused much damage to itself: the authorities made haste to launch hydraulic dredge and stop Russia's doings. That broke the meager replenishment of the shores with sand. As a result of the ignorant settlement of the problem, one hundred meters of the Ukrainian coastline were immediately washed down; that was said to be Russia's fault.

Vadim Boldyrev was invited to the Kremlin to help find a way out. The scientist thinks two or even three birds can be killed with one stone while problem solution. First of all, it is necessary to build a port at Tuzla; soil obtained during dredging is to be used for fortification of the shores. Another side effect of the port construction is energetic reviving of Taman's economy that has been in stagnation until recently. Third, Russia will not have to pay to Ukraine for passing of its vessels along the southern part of the Strait of Kerch. Some time before, it was planned to start construction of another port in Novorossiisk. The construction was lobbied with the Novoross-gidrostroi organization seeking new contracts. However, Vadim Boldyrev says that solution of the problem would cost Russia too much. Indeed, in the framework of the construction workers would have to blow up the rocky ground of Sudzhukskaya Spit, which would inevitably gave rise to protests of ecologists, to build tunnels and viaducts. In a word, construction of that port would be more expensive than that one that can be built at Tuzla. What is more, unlike the port of Novorossiisk, the harbor of Tuzla is wonderfully protected from strong storm winds which makes it more convenient.

Dredging between Tuzla and Panagiya may give 40-50 million cubic meters of sand that are required for building a dam. The solution suggested by the scientist is really very convenient because reconstruction of the Russian shores would be carried out in harmony with nature: currents in this part of the Strait of Kerch might help wonderfully arrange the sand.

The Kremlin likes the simplicity and the elegance of the idea suggested by the scientist. Within about a week Vadim Bodyrev met with the RF deputy minister for ecology and with officials in the prime minister administration. More meetings are to be held right after the parliamentary election on December 7. For the time being, the scientist from Kaliningrad is in correspondence with the Kremlin as concerning the Tuzla problem.

Yelena Chirkova
Mayak Baltiki, Kaliningrad
Special to PRAVDA.Ru