jimbabwe By Lukpan Akhmediarov
Uralsk Weekly
April 6, 2006
The reduction of the radius of the Sanitary Protection Zone around the Karachaganak Field from five to three kilometers is illegal. The Prosecutor of the Western Kazakhstan Oblast spoke about this in a press release distributed on April 4.
In 2003, the Main State Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to reduce the border of the Sanitary Protection Zone (SPZ) around the Karachaganak Oil and Gas Condensate Field to a distance of between 3,000 and 3,840 meters. Its radius had previously been set at 5,000 meters. Recently, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Oblast has prepared a presentation to the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan protesting the action of the Main Sate Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of that conclusion. The Prosecutor believes that the conclusion must be deemed illegal.
The Prosecutor bases his position on the sanitary norms that are applied before the start of a project by industrial facilities that extract natural resources. In accordance with the norms, the size of the SPZ is dependent on the amount of hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans in the natural gas that is to be extracted. “It appears that for facilities extracting natural gas with a high level of hydrogen sulfide (greater than 2-3 percent) and mercaptans, the size of the SPZ should not be less than 5,000 meters,” the Prosecutor’s investigation states. In the process of the Prosecutor’s audit, it became clear that the percentage of hydrogen sulfide in Karachaganak gas varies from 3.06 to 8.94 percent and on average is 4-5 percent.”
We remind you that the reduction in the radius of the SPZ from five to three kilometers was the basis for the exclusion of the village of Berezovka from the zone of the field’s impact. And, unlike the village of Tungush, its residents were not relocated.
To substantiate the demand for relocation of Berezovka, a mobile laboratory must be sent to measure the levels of toxins in the village air. This is the opinion of S. Duisenbaev, the Uralsk Environmental Prosecutor, in a statement to his colleagues. He referred to the norms of Article 58 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan, “On Architectural, Urban Design and Building, and Construction in the Republic of Kazakhstan.” In accordance with the letter of law, placement of homes, educational and health facilities, gardens, orchards and agricultural production is not allowed within the confines of the SPZ.
In addition, the Prosecutor stated, the company KPO, B.V. does not meet its obligations to reduce the amount of gas flaring that are called for in the “Final Production Sharing Agreement.” There has been no noticeable reduction in the amount of combustion from the gas flares in the past three years.
INSERT: In 2003, the volume of combustion from the gas flares was 90.62 million cubic meters; in 2004, 248.26 million; and as of December 1, 2005, 145.30 million. The activity of another foreign firm ZKF “Todini Construction General, S.p.A.” attracted the attention of the Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, when, in 2005, without permission, it discharged toxic emissions into the air from its construction materials, causing environmental damage.
The court of Western Kazakhstan Oblast complied with two lawsuits brought by the Uralsk Environmental Protection Prosecutor and fined KZK “Todini Construction General, S.p.A.” 41,852,440 Tenge.
As a result of the audit, the Prosecutor has enlisted over twenty additional legal bodies with administrative authority to impose fines. The courts have issued over 44 million Tenge in fines in response to the Prosecutor’s lawsuits.
Translation by Crude Accountability