Natural Resources Min ready to increase fines for oil pollution significantly - Donskoi
MOSCOW. Dec 10 (Interfax) - Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment plans to work on significantly increasing fines for environmental damage caused by pollution from oil and petroleum products, Minister Sergei Donskoi told journalists on Monday.
"The fines should be increased by many times. But how this will be done should be given some thought. I think that the fine should be in accordance with total investment made by oil companies," the minister said.
In addition to fines, the ministry plans to oblige oil companies to create liquidation funds for combating pollution and insure environmental damage from pollution. "It is necessary not only to boost fines but also introduce a complete system. This would be both insurance and liquidation funds," he said.
Furthermore, the Natural Resources Ministry plans to draw up a plan to change the legal base in order to strengthen the battle with pollution from oil and petroleum product spills, as well as carry out inspections of company plans to liquidate and combat spills. If these plans are not implemented, the ministry proposes developing a system for transferring information and materials to the natural resources watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor.
"This will be prepared as a separate document and sent to the government committee for the fuel and energy complex. I think that we will be able to send it by the end of the month," Donskoi said.
The minister, while presenting at a meeting on averting and liquidating pollution from oil and petroleum product spills, said that spills caused by pipeline breaches cause the most serious damage to the environment. According to the Natural Resources Ministry, Rosneft liquidated the most oil spills in 2011. For instance, there were 2,127 incidents in the Khanty-Mansiysk Oil District alone. Rosneft was followed by TNK-BP , which had to liquidate 784 incidents.
Donskoi added that, according to the Emergency Situations Ministry, over 8,000 oil companies are obliged to draw up plans to liquidating oil spills. However, every tenth company has yet to prepare these plans.
