Pipeline Protests at Baikal's Shore

[struggle4progress]

Monday, March 20, 2006. Issue 3374. Page 5.
The Associated Press

Around 5,000 people rallied in the Siberian city of Irkutsk on Saturday to protest the route of a planned oil pipeline that will run near Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake, the Itar-Tass reported.

The participants included environmentalists, scientists and members of the regional parliament and administration, the report said. Flags of several political parties, including the regional branch of the pro-Kremlin United Russia, were seen at the rally, Itar-Tass said.

Irkutsk Governor Alexander Tishan last week warned that it was impossible to rule out an oil spillage in Lake Baikal. The pipeline would be less than 1 kilometer away from the lake.

"The consequences of such an occurrence would be irreversible," he said, RIA-Novosti reported. A senior Cabinet member said last weekend that Russia would press ahead with construction and the first section of the pipeline -- to transport oil to Asian markets -- would be completed by the end of 2008.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/03/20/046.html