During the first day of the Russian Indigenous Peoples' congress held in
Moscow 12-13. April, representatives of the indigenous Izhma Komi or
Komi-Izhemtsy from the north of Komi republic held protest actions
before the World Bank office. They want to stop the bank from financing
an aluminum plant that they fear will bring heavy pollution to their
land. They also gathered signatures to a petition to the World Bank's
leadership.

The following is a rough translation of what the Socio Ecological Union
reported on this case,
see http://www.seu.ru/news_ru/?x=4585

If you read Russian, full coverage of the action can be found
here: http://www.arnews.ru/news/437055.html


Komi-Izhemtsy tell World Bank about radioactive bauxite

On April 12th, the first day of the all Russian congress of numerically
small peoples of the North, indigenous inhabitants of the North of
Russia's Komi Republic - the Izhma Komi (Komi-Izhemtsy) have staged
protest actions before the World Bank office in Moscow. The World Bank
is financing the construction of an Aluminum plant in the Komi republic
which threatens to destroy the natural environment of the indigenous
inhabitants.

"The Izhma Komi are on the brink of survival", says Valentina
Semyashkina of the "Committee to Save the Pechora", one of the
organizers of the protest. "They do not listen to us in our own land.
Therefore we are now in Moscow, so that our voices will be heard in the
whole of Russia."

The civil association "Committee to save the Pechora", a member of the
International Socio-Ecological Union (a coalition of environmental
organizations in the former Soviet Union) works to protect the
environment, environmental rights and rights of indigenous peoples.

In late March the Committee had discussed the planned project "Komi
Aluminii", which includes an increase in bauxite mining on the Timan
river as well as the construction of an aluminum plant on territory of
the Komi republic.

Participants expressed serious doubts about the belief held by the
authorities that the aluminum industry would spark an overall economic
boost. After three years of exploitation of the Middle Timan bauxite
deposit, from where 3 million tons of bauxite have been extracted so
far, no improvement of the social and economic situation has been noted
in the Knyazhpogotskij district where the deposit is located. The Vym
villages are still on the verge of extinction.

Special attention was paid to ecological aspects of the project,
including the planned increase of the annual production of the middle
Pechora bauxite mine to six million tons.

Even today the population complains about pollution of their territory
caused by the mine. Participants noted that no data has been publicized
about its impact on the land and especially the rivers across which the
roads cut on which the ore is transported to Chin'yavoryk station.
Valerii Alexandrovich Kopeikinym a professor and doctor in geological
and mineralogical science said that he intended to undertake a
monitoring of radioactivity in the affected area.

It has become known that bauxite from the Timan river emits high levels
radiation, just below the permissible limits. Experts estimate that the
amount of radioactive elements in every kilogram of ore will increase
when the bauxite has been extracted from it. That is, tailings that will
be left in the pond next to the aluminum plant will contain higher
levels of radiation than the original ore. Therefore the committee has
demanded from the company "Boksity Timana" (Timan Bauxite) to create a
gamma radiation map of the mining affected area and undertake regular
radiation controls the results of which should be made publicly
available.

The committee concluded that the total annual ore production on the
Middle Timan bauxite mine should be limited to 2,5 tons.

The committee also discussed the business plan of the "SAUL" holding
group for the further realization of the "Komi aluminii" project,
including the construction of a bauxite combinate. While SAUL intends to
build the factory in the Sosnogorskii district, next to the village
Kerki, the committee opposes these plans. According to the committee,
constructing and extremely dirty plant on a territory which is already
burdened with heavy pollution is intolerable. This concerns both the
bauxite combinate as well as the aluminum plant.

Given that the Committee session was attended by representatives of
ecological movements from Ukhta, Sosnogorsk, Izhma, Ust'-Tsyl'ma,
Pechora, Usinsk and Inta as well as representatives of other
organizations and members of the city council of Ukhta, it can be said
that the Committee's views are a fair representation of the opinions of
much of the inhabitants of the Pechora basin.

At a seminar hosted by SAUL and its subsidiaries, representatives of the
committee reiterated their demand for the bauxite plant to be relocated
from the Pechora basin to Chin'yakovyk district. Even though the company
pledged to "take into account public opinion", this has not happened.
More so, virtually all republican mass media that reported about the
workshop fully ignored public opinion and tried to sell us the future
aluminum production wrapped in a nice packing.

Contact:

Valentina Semiashkina

Address:

169700 Respublika Komi
g. Pechora,
a/ya 114

Tel: +7-82142-25-25-07, 3-03-73