Movement against violence
Rainbow Keepers movement
Socio-Ecological Union of Western Caucasus
PROTEST CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CONSTRUCTION OF AMMONIA
RELOADING TERMINAL ON TAMAN PENINSULA
<August 5, 2002>
STARTING a PROTEST CAMPAIGN
AGAINST the CONSTRUCTION of
a LIQUEFIED AMMONIA RELOADING TERMINAL
on TAMAN PENINSULAIn Krasnodar territory the activists of Movement against violence, Rainbow Keepers movement and Socio-Ecological Union of Western Caucasus, supported by Taman department of Kuban Cossack Voisko, started a protest campaign against the construction of an ammonia terminal realized on Taman peninsula.
This large transport project, dangerously jeopardizing the ecosystem of the Black Sea and the life of Taman peninsula population, is approved by state environmental institutions and local authorities, which sacrificed ecological safety of the region contrary to their duty as state officials. The only force able to stop the realization of the project is local people, Cossacks and public environmental movement.
CALL TO ACTION!
On the southwestern extremity of Russia on Taman peninsula at the very entry into Kerch Strait one of the most dangerous developments, a liquefied ammonia reloading terminal is under construction. It is a chemical corporation "Togliattiazot", which is building the terminal and the port Zhelezny Rog 2 km from the resort of Volna and 10 km from the village of Taman. The terminal is designed for keeping 2.2 million tons of liquefied ammonia annually and the same quality of carbohydrates. Everyday six thousands tons of ammonia will come by rail and be loaded into the cargo boats via elevated pipeline on open sea. Togliattiazot Corporation began the construction of the terminal with violations of Federal and local Laws. However, the corporation made the majority of the necessary agreements, but it has no the main thing, that is the agreement of the inhabitants of the region for construction such a development so dangerous for life and health of people. At the present moment a branch line as far as the resort of Volna is constructed, the top of Zelenskaya hill is razed to the ground, several tens of kilometers of the pipeline are laid, there are building works on the Black Sea coast.
There are a number of objective reasons to stop the construction of the terminal on Taman peninsula.
RISK OF DESASTERS
Taman peninsula, including the areas bordering to the building plot, is a zone of a high geological risk. The peninsula has more than 70 mud volcanoes, the most part of which is active ones. During the last 13 years Taman peninsula, situated in the zone of nine-point seismicity, had 44 volcanic eruptions of a variable degree of activity.
Geologists did not rule out a sudden increase of activity of Zelenskaya hill, where Togliattiazot Corporation has already begun to locate a storehouse meant for 100 thousand tons of ammonia, an extremely dangerous matter. In the second place, loading cargo boats with ammonia is a high-risk operation, that should be conducted in the closed bay protected from waves, hurricanes, sea currents and so forth. The natural conditions in the area of Zhelezny Rog port construction, on the contrary, are notable for perfidious sea currents, permanently changing not only its speed, but its direction as well. The latter brings about the formation of unexpected whirlpools, vortexes, high waves, shoals and sand- banks in the shallow water areas. On average 146 days a year the weather conditions are unfavorable for fulfillment loading operations.
The coastal zone in the terminal building area is notable for intensive sliding processes, lack of solid basement rocks, the grounds are characterized by unfitness for some kinds of constructions, including railroad embankment. Heaviness of disaster consequences of in this industrial development can be estimated according to the official record "Conclusion of the expert commission of State ecological review on the materials "Investment assessment for ammonia terminal station in Temruk district in Krasnodar territory" of June 15, 1999 (article. 5.1, p. 12), in which it is read as follows: "Radius of damage area with lethal outcome (death) in case of disasters related to ammonia release, amounts to:
- in the coastal isothermal storage – 1,4 km;
- in the intermediate storage (village of Vyshesteblievskaya) – 0.4 km;
- in the railway – 0.59 km;
- in the pipeline – 0.78 km.
The damage area of average degree (partial loss of health) has a radius from 1.2 to 4.2 km, and damage area makes up 0.57 – 6.9 km2. In case of disasters the insular berth, a holiday home "Fakel", resort of Volna, village of Taman, village of Vinogradny and village of Vyshesteblievskaya can fall within the damage zones. The estimated time of ammonia coming to those settlements makes up several minutes.
DESTRUCTION OF CULTURAL VALUES
Local people found out that builders destroyed a cultural layer of an antique settlement in Zelenskaya hill region on the area of more than 2000 m2. Bulldozers and trucks were crushing there antique ceramics, deforming the cultural layer of the site of ancient settlement.
This really predatory dealing was conducted without agreements and permissions, in the territory, that had not been meant for those purposes. Earlier during the construction of the railway, the builders destroyed 11 burial mounds and an ancient settlement. Krasnodar Territory Committee on Protection of History and Cultural Values of brought an action against builders for caused damages to the amount of over three billion rubles. But even that did not stop the builders. They destroyed one more settlement, this time it was in the territory of Taman administrative division near Zelenskaya hill, as well as the hill was deformed.
ECONOMICAL DAMAGE
The coastal section in the construction area is one of the most precious and highly productive as for fishery Black Sea water areas. The construction of an offshore pier 2.5 km long in the most main commercial fishery areas jeopardizes the existence of Khvalun fishery collective farm. 250 fishermen and their families will remain without means of subsistence.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICE
There is a wise alternative choice instead of this great environmental distress threatening us, the other choice instead of making from Taman peninsula an industrial zone and sewage tank. It is the question of creating in this territory a Russian resort of national significance. After all, Russia is the coldest country in the world with distinctly continental climate. As a result of USSR collapse we lost the resorts of Crimea, districts of Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev, Baltic seashore, Abkhazia seaside. Now we have only a narrow strip of beaches on the Black Sea and Azov Sea warm coast here, in Krasnodar territory. It should become not an industrial zone, but a recreation area for scores of millions of Russians of modest means, who cannot go to Antalia (Turkey), to Canaries or to other expensive resorts. And for tens of thousands of Taman people it will be a place to use their forces, intellect and working hands, a way to earn their livelihood and provide for well-to-do existence.
TAMAN IS A HEALTH RESORT, NOT A GAS CHAMBER!
DOWN WITH DEATH FROM AMMONIA!
LET'S STOP THE CHEMICAL ATTACK!
We invite you to take part in the protest campaign against the construction of the ammonia reloading terminal on Taman peninsula.
Contact information:
Campaign headquarters in Taman:
v. Taman, Lermontov street 1
phone: +7(86148)31471
e-mail: dpnrk@e-mail.ru
Campaign headquarters in Maykop:
phone: +7(87722)43652
e-mail: ies@hotbox.ru
Gleb Edelev
(Movement against violence)
Alexander Zimbovsky
(Rainbow Keepers movement)