Rosneft said it is willing to work closely with environmental protection organizations in the construction of a petrochemicals complex in the Primorye region.
A representative of the organizing committee of the Environmental Marathon conference in Vladivostok, at which Rosneft made its announcement, told Interfax that one of the central topics of discussion at the forum was the construction of a petrochemicals complex near the town of Vrangel in the urban district of Nakhodka.
Rosneft subsidiary Eastern Petrochemical Co. is building it. Participants in the talks included representatives of Rosneft, NGOs and experts, the latter two of which made a host of complaints against Eastern Petrochemical Co. and Rosneft directly.
Among the points of contention were the width of the sanitary protection zone and the danger of placing the petrochemical complex’s infrastructural elements on boggy soil, as well as the threat posed to endangered animals and plants.
A representative of the state-owned oil giant’s headquarters assured participants that Rosneft “guarantees adherence to the strictest environmental standards in the construction and operation of the petrochemicals complex.”
The design documentation for Eastern Petrochemical is being prepared, and after it is ready, the project will be opened to public discussion, the Rosneft representative said.
Alexander Kazakov, a representative of the All-Russia Society for Environmental Protection, said the society had sent a message to Rosneft’s management about a month ago airing the complaints of Primorye region NGOs against Eastern Petrochemical.
He said the company needs to respect the constitutional rights of local residents.
In particular, the society expressed concerns about the rights to a suitable environment and to reliable information on the status of the environment.
The society proposed continuous public environmental monitoring of the project starting now and proceeding through to the opening of the new complex.
Representatives of Rosneft and the All-Russia Society for Environmental Protection agreed to closely collaborate on monitoring of the project. The parties also agreed that environmentalists would be provided with all of the necessary information.
East Petrochemical was established to build a petrochemicals complex in Nakhodka, in the Primorye region.
Production at the facility is slated to start in December 2016. The project’s price tag is tentatively set at over $5 billion.
The complex will process up to 10 million tons of hydrocarbon material a year.
Related articles: