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On January 22, 2011, the Akim (regional authority) of Burlinsky Region in western Kazakhstan, B.A. Shakimov, met with residents of the village of Berezovka, which is located close to the Karachaganak Oil and Gas Condensate field. The meeting was held for the Akim to deliver his report about the socio-economic development in the region in 2010 and the goals for 2011.
At this meeting, Sergey Solyanik of Crude Accountability spoke of the need to conduct a targeted, comprehensive environmental assessment to understand why sinkholes are appearing in and around the village. The villagers also presented the Akim with a list of questions from the local environmental organization, Zhasil Dala, about the Astana Court decision regarding Green Salvation’s lawsuit demanding relocation of the villagers from within the 5-kilometer Sanitary Protection Zone (SPZ) of the Karachaganak field. [The Court ruled that the local administration must take responsibility for the relocation of Berezovka.]
During the course of the meeting, no one from the regional administration mentioned the problems faced by Berezovka due to its location inside the SPZ, nor did they discuss the implementation of the Astana Court’s decision. Likewise, these topics were not covered in the Akim’s written report.
The villagers also organized a photo exhibit of the sinkholes in and around Berezovka, which was displayed in the foyer of the House of Culture, where the meeting was held.
After presentations by Sergey Solyanik and Nagaisha Demesheva, the Berezovka villager in whose home a sinkhole appeared last month, the regional Akim visited her home as well as the sinkhole that appeared on the steppe south of Berezovka. The Akim was reminded of the responsibility of the state bodies to correct the situation and investigate the reasons for the appearance of the sinkholes.
As Sergey Solyanik stated, “Berezovka’s residents need to follow closely the actions of the regional authorities in investigating the reasons for the sinkholes. They also need to resolve the dangerous situation in Ms. Demesheva’s home. The only reason the authorities are paying attention right now is because the public demanded it.”
More information about the campaign for Berezovka’s relocation is available atwww.crudeaccountability.org and www.greensalvation.org.
Crude Press Release
January 22, 2011
Contact: Kate Watters
kate@nullcrudeaccountability.org
703-299-0854
Sergey Solyanik
ss_grs@nullyahoo.com