Russia Dumps Baikal Legal Protections For Pipeline Construction Route

[hatrack]

Russia's parliament Wednesday scrapped legal environmental protection for Siberia's Lake Baikal to facilitate construction of a controversial pipeline linking Siberia to the Pacific Coast. In a surprise vote, the State Duma lower house of Parliament amended Russia's water resources code, which originally protected the zone around Lake Baikal.

The Duma had adopted the code in a final reading last week and transferred it to the upper house of parliament, but deputies from the pro-Kremlin United Russia party unexpectedly called a new, unplanned Duma reading Wednesday.

An overwhelming majority of deputies -- 330 against 98 -- then voted to repel the protection, in a move sharply criticized by independendent and left-wing lawmakers.

"The government is lobbying on behalf of oil groups and other monopolies," said independent deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov. "With this vote, we are helping to destroy a unique lake," said Communist deputy Viktor Ilyukhin.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Russia_Scraps_Lake_Baikal_Protection_For_Siberia_Pacific_Pipeline.html