The protected lands around Lake Baikal are completely excluded from the scope of the bill “Amendments to the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”. According to Dmitry Kobylkin, Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the draft law will be presented for the second reading, which takes into account the Committee's comments and reflects the opinion of the people of Russia.
According to the press service of the Committee on Ecology, today, on the eve of the second reading in the State Duma, the State Duma Committee on Construction, Housing and Communal Services looked into the bill "Amendments to the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation". The positions of the Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection were represented by Vyacheslav Fetisov and Georgy Arapov.
“The document caused a wide public outcry. The Committee received tens of thousands of appeals from the citizens of the country, concerned about the fate of protected areas, which could be affected if the bill was adopted in its original version,” the press service said.
"As a result, the draft law will be submitted to the second reading, which takes into account our comments and reflects the opinion of the people of Russia," Kobylkin said.
“I would like to emphasize that Baikal remains inviolable - the protected lands around the unique lake are completely removed from the scope of the bill under consideration. There will be no construction, especially private, here. As in other specially protected natural areas. Any activity within their borders will continue to be carried out within the framework of the current legislation. The same applies to environmental expertise – it is not canceled and will be carried out on the same terms,” he added.
"Our common goal is to get a balanced bill that will take into account the interests of all parties, but under no circumstances will harm the environment," the head of the Duma committee stressed.
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