Prosecutor General’s acknowledged illegality of barrow excavation in the National park of Sochi

Prosecutor General’s of the Russian Federation revealed violations in barrow excavation in the National park of Sochi after it carried out an inspection in reply to the ecologists’ reports of numerous violations of nature conservation legislation in this conservation zone.

On September, 18, activists of “Environmental Watch” tried to undertake an inspection of a borrow pit in the 26^th block of Veselovsky district forestry which, in their opinion, was illegal but were detained by the personnel of border service of Federal Security Service in the settlement of Yermolaevka. On September, 24, ecologists reported existence of one more borrow pit which they considered illegal.

Representatives of “Environmental Watch on North Caucasus” submitted a statement to Prosecutor General’s of Russia. Yesterday, January, 2, a reply was received from Prosecutor General’s a scanned copy of which ecologist Suren Gazaryan posted on his blog.

In particular, the reply runs that the barrow excavation in the 37^th block of Veselovsky forestry which is carried out by “RZHD” public corporation is being developed without a license on the rights of the use of subsoil.

Violations were also discovered in the 18^th and 24^th blocks of Veselovsky forestry where “Business 21^st Century” limited corporation together with the management of Sochi National park developed two illegal borrow pits at once in process of arrangement of the forestry fire-prevention road.

“The inspection confirmed the facts we repeatedly pointed out: borrow pits in the conservation area in the National park and water protection zone of the Psou river were developed without any licensing documentation or environmental expertise”, Suren Gazaryan comments on the reply from Prosecutor General’s.

There are no comments from the developers of the borrow pits and the management of the National park concerning the conclusions of Prosecutor General’s yet.

Earlier, the management of the National park declared that the works were being carried out on legal grounds and connected with broadening of the existing road to the settlement of Aibga and clearing the landslip.