Pipeline Protests at Baikal's Shore

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