December 28 on the Norwegian state-owned company «Statoil» oil platform «Statfjord A» in the North Sea leak oil and gas. The accident was so dangerous and serious that some employees «Statfjord A» were evacuated by helicopter.
Despite belonging Norwegian drilling operator, the incident is directly related to the environmental situation in Russia. The fact is that, except in the North Sea, «Statoil» drilling plans on the shelf of the Russian Federation in partnership with the company "Rosneft". At the same performance standards «Statoil» for Russian territory will obviously somewhat lower than those applied in Norway. "For example, in Norway banned drilling in ice conditions, and, as shown by this accident, to evacuate the company has established two platforms. Neither one nor the other in the Russian practice not, despite claims Putin that the Arctic will apply the most stringent environmental standards ", - says Vladimir Chuprov, Greenpeace Russia's energy program.
Here is what the situation Alex Bookmen Program Manager Environmental Policy Energy WWF Russia:
"The accident, which occurred on December 28 Statoil platform in the North Sea, on the one hand, once again confirmed the thesis of environmentalists that no oil and gas company in the world can not run without crashing. Therefore, we can achieve a ban on oil extraction in most of the waters: for example, the West Kamchatka shelf in the Russian Federation or the Lofoten Islands in Norway.
On the other hand, this incident also shows that the treatment of Russian environmental NGOs to the governments of Russia and Norway on the need for environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context for development projects licensed areas in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea is more than relevant. If an accident happens in this sector, there is a high probability that the oil spill will have an impact on the Russian part of the Barents Sea. "
"Green Alliance - People's Party", leading an active struggle for the improvement of Russian environmental legislation, regrets that 2013 was a year of missed opportunities on the accession of our country to such an important international environmental instruments such as the Espoo Convention and the Aarhus Convention. Despite the orders of the president, the data back in 2011 - neither one nor the other has not been ratified. Recall leader of the "Green Alliance" Gleb Fetisov in October 2013 addressed to the Foreign Ministry asking whether there were plans to Russia's accession to the Espoo Convention. "We hope that the active position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the ratification of the Espoo Convention will facilitate the early introduction of a bill on ratification of the State Duma of the Russian Federation", - in particular, spoke Fetisov in a media interview. Later, however, the Foreign Ministry sent a batch of "Green Alliance" missive in which officials reported inexpedient ratification of the Espoo Convention, referring to the kind of "national interests."
Alexei Bookmen working in partnership with the "Green Alliance" on a variety of environmental projects, commented on the situation: "Until now, the Russian Federation may not invoke the provisions of the Espoo Convention, so as not ratified it. But new threats to our bioresources by the oil and gas in the Norwegian sector of the Arctic should be a valid reason to RF asap joined this document. "
Source: Green Alliance - People's Party
