Prosecutors Warn Rusia-Petroleum Over Violations of Environmental Law at Kovykta Field
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office issued a warning to OAO Rusia-Petroleum Director General Valery Pak in relation to violations of environmental law at the Kovykta gas field.
“OAO Rusia-Petroleum’s General Valery Pak was summoned to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. He was officially warned of the inadmissibility of violations of legislation concerning natural resources, the protection of nature, and the conditions of the license agreement for the use of subsurface resources at the Kovykta field,” the Prosecutor General’s Office told Interfax Monday.
In addition, the Irkutsk region prosecutor’s office asked OAO Rusia-Petroleum to remedy its violations of the law.
“Pak was warned that in case he fails to end violations of the law in the set time the prosecutor’s office will submit a request to the Federal Agency for the Use of Subsurface Resources demanding that OAO Rusia-Petroleum’s right to the use of the subsurface resources at the Kovykta field be revoked,” the communication says.
It says that the inspection “established that in developing and using the resources of the Kovykta field OAO Rusia-Petroleum had violated the requirements of the license and the subsurface resources law.”
The license agreement stipulates that OAO Rusia-Petroleum will meet in full the gas demands of the Irkutsk region, which amount to 9 billion cubic meters, beginning in 2006.
“This point of the license agreement is essential because it is meant to protect the interests of the population of the territory. However, this point is being disregarded, and so the interests of the Irkutsk region and the rights of its citizens are harmed,” the Prosecutor General’s Office says.
In addition, the license agreement includes a requirement to abide by nature protection legislation and safety rules.
“However during the duration of the license OAO Rusia-Petroleum has systematically violated nature protection legislation and industrial security requirements, and stipulations in the license agreement have not been fulfilled,” the statement says.
(c) 2006 Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English
