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sakhalin resources
shell outrages sakhalin's fishermen
Shell, the EBRD and JBIC plan to press on
with the construction of a $12 billion gas
facility off Russia’s Far East coast, in
spite of a recent independent scientific
panel calling for the company to suspend
construction on Sakhalin II, until completion
of further studies. The International
Scientific Review Panel (ISRP), convened by
the World Conservation Union, was also
critical of Shell’s lack of necessary
documentation and data related to key aspects
of its oil and gas development. Shell’s plans
to lay sub-sea pipelines carrying oil and gas
from platforms off Sakhalin Island may affect
feeding grounds, and noise and disruption
from the development may kill the remaining
whales
To review the Panel’s report, see:
www.iucn.org/themes/business/Docs/ISRP_Report_with_covers_low_res.pdf
The Sakhalin Energy Company has prohibited
salmon fishing in waters bordering the
construction site of its liquid natural gas
plant (LNG) in Sakhalin Island 's Aniva Bay.
The decision led to local fishermen blocking
the factory road with cars loaded with
fishing nets. The protest lasted for an hour,
causing a kilometre-long traffic jam.
Representatives of Sakhalin Energy Company
(which comprises Shell, Mitsui and
Mitsubishi) and their subcontractors, CTSD
Limited - the LNG plant construction workers
- failed to emerge to meet the striking
fishermen.
In response FoEI affiliate CEE Bankwatch
has appealed to the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to
investigate how the controversial Sakhalin 2
oil and gas project is impacting on Sakhalin
's fishing industry. The EBRD is currently
considering financing the second phase of
Sakhalin 2 in what is the third largest
Project Finance deal ever undertaken, and by
far the largest undertaken in the oil and gas
sector.
"On several occasions we have raised
concerns about the potential social impacts
of the project with the investors," said Petr
Hlobil, Campaigns Coordinator of CEE
Bankwatch Network. "Unfortunately, the fears
that the plant would destroy the livelihoods
of local people are becoming a reality."
news april 2006: dutch bank
pressured not to finance sakhalin
project
Dutch Banking giant ABN AMRO was under
pressure at its annual general meeting of
shareholders on April 27th as environmental
organizations urged it not to finance a
controversial energy project in Russia. The
Sakhalin-II project in Russia is one of the
biggest oil and gas projects worldwide, and
the environmental organizations claim that it
violates social and environmental guidelines
known as the 'Equator Principles' for
financing major projects.
news january 2006: protestors urge
ebrd to reject financing for sakhalin
ii
In January, more than 300 local Sakhalin
people protested peacefully in front of the
main entrance to the massive Sakhalin II LNG
plant construction site against the
widespread damage that the Sakhalin Energy
Investment Company (SEIC), a consortium lead
by Shell, is inflicting on Sakhalin's
environment, social infrastructure and
fishing economy. The protestors were joined
by Sakhalin Regional Governor Ivan Malakhov,
who supports the local people's demands for a
recalculation of damage to fish stocks caused
by the project, for the establishment of a
sanitary protection zone extending to 3.5 km
instead of the current 1 km, and for the EBRD
not to finance the Sakhalin II project.
Contact: Dmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Watch, or
www.sakhalin.environment.ru
news december 2005: ebrd
hesitates
Sakhalin Energy is seeking up to USD five
billion in public financing for Sakhalin II
from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) and the export credit
agencies of the US, UK and Japan. The EBRD
last week further delayed a key ‘fit for
purpose’ decision on the project until the
end of the year.
Andrey Kurbatov, of Sakhalin Environment
Watch, commented: “Under Russian law such
work as Sakhalin Energy has been carrying out
needs to strictly conform with what was laid
down when it underwent a State Environmental
Impact Review. However, Sakhalin Energy has
allowed substantial deviations from the
project documentation to occur with the LNG
jetty construction. Our case maintains that
so far damage to fish stocks far exceeds
so-called permissable damage, that there has
been an increase in the amount of dredged
material, and that the dredging work itself
is being carried out differently from how it
was specified in the project documents.”
Dmitry Lisitsyn, the president of Sakhalin
Environment Watch and leading the
international Sakhalin 2 campaign, said:
“This decision gives us great confidence that
Sakhalin citizens can stand up to the oil
majors and protect the natural riches not
only in Aniva Bay but also throughout
Sakhalin. This is just one of many instances
in the Sakhalin II project where Sakhalin
Energy’s project implementation has been
appalling. Will they ever learn that such
things as Russian legislation, the lending
policies of major international banks and the
livelihoods of Sakhalin islanders are not
there to be wilfully abused? The EBRD’s
environmental policy follows national
legislation and in our view this is another
case where Sakhalin Energy violates it.”
news june 2005: sakhalin protests
in media and at shell agm
Eight international civil society groups
placed a full page ad in the Financial Times
in June urging Credit Suisse First Boston to
uphold its sustainability commitments and
sever its relationship as financial advisor
to the controversial Sakhalin II project.
Sakhalin II, a US$12 billion Shell-led
operation on Russia 's Pacific Coast , is the
single largest oil and gas project ever
undertaken. The ad coincided with renewed
demonstrations and blockades by indigenous
communities on Sakhalin Island and a week of
solidarity events and protests in New York ,
London and Moscow . Shell's AGM in London was
the site of resistance to the project as well
as Credit Suisse First Boston's Russian
offices in Moscow . The ad outlined the
direct violations of the project to the
Equator Principles, which were launched in
June 2003 and have now been signed by 31
private financial institutions in order “to
promote responsible environmental stewardship
and socially responsible development.”
More info: Celia Alario, Rainforest Action
Network,
news april 2005
:
sakhalin likely to receive big
money
International campaigners expressed anger
and dismay following Russian and Japanese
media reports on April 27th that the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation reportedly
agreed on a US$4 billion credit line for the
Sakhalin II oil and gas project in the
Russian Far East. Environmental groups that
have been monitoring the implementation of
the highly controversial US$12 billion
project warned that if confirmed, such a
premature move from the Japanese public bank
would breach its commitments to "ensure due
environmental and social consideration for
the project".
Contact: Petr Hlobil CEE Bankwatch
Network,
news 25-02-05:
The Japan
Bank for International Coorperation,
potential lender of the Sakhalin II phase 2
project, is holding a forum to collect
concerns on the project and ask Sakhalin
Energy (Shell, Mitsui, Mitsubishi) to
respond. Local Hokkaido citizens and
fishermen have raised major concerns
regarding an oil spill. Many wildlife species
experts say the company's Environment Impact
Assessment is inadequate. The project
threatens endangered species including the
white tailed sea eagle, the spotted
greenshank, the westen grey whale and
Steller's sea lion. JBIC is urged not to
finance the project unless it complies with
JBIC's environmental and social
guidelines.
More information: FoE Japan’s Shoko
Murakami
For more on the Sakhalin 2 project visit
www.sakhalin.environment.ru/en/
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