The Center Goes to Russia - A report on Penny Newman's Trip and the Environmental Challenges Facing Their Country
With Specific Information on Lake Baikal
"The Jewel of Siberia"
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The Center was founded on the principle that we all have an obligation to help others and make our communities better places to live. Fulfilling that obligation, the Center has helped thousands of people across the country (and internationally with trips to China and India) in bringing about a safer, healthier world. In doing so, the Center has developed a strong reputation for its expertise and ability to help others help themselves and improve their lives. That reputation has resulted in an invitation to join a delegation of scientific, governmental, industry and environmental representatives to visit Russia for a conference on Dioxin. Penny Newman, Executive Director for the Center, traveled to Russia on August 20 through September 3 for the Third North American-Russian Workshop on Joint Actions to Reduce Dioxin and Dioxin-related Compounds.
The workshop was held in Baikalsk, a small city on the southern shore of Lake Baikal, The Region has been inhabited and considered sacred by many different, non-slavic cultures for centuries. The Olkhon Island is thought to be the birthplace of the Mongolian ruler, Genghis Khan. In 1996, UNESCO named Lake Baikal a "World Heritage Site", placing 3.15 hectares under International protection. As a result of the ongoing collaborations the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission (GCC) has added dioxin to their agenda. Named for Vice President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, the commission has issued a directive for US-Russian cooperation on this issue. Other participants in the conference include representatives from the National Institute
Of the Participants of the Third North American-European-Russian Workshop on Joint Actions to Reduce Dioxin and Dioxin-Related Compounds Baikalsk, August 22-30, 1998 The workshop was attended by 132 scientists, medical professionals, pulp and paper The principal sources of dioxin danger in Russia are landfill fires and backyard burning of wastes, pesticide production, production of PVC & PCB’s, paper and pulp mills, storage sites of municipal and chemical wastes, coal-burning power plants, and automobiles. The closing of dioxin sources is not the entire solution, as large territories remain contaminated and hundreds of thousands of tons of dioxin-containing waste continue to be a significant threat. There is an urgent need for investment in methods to remediate contaminated soils and dispose of dioxin-containing waste. In addition, alternative technologies and strategies for waste management and production processes, which do not create dioxins, furans, and PCBs, must be identified and implemented. Dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) enter the food chain through air emissions and water discharges. They bio-accumulate in humans and wildlife. For humans, the primary route of exposure to dioxin and thus the greatest risks come from eating fish, dairy products and meat. The participants of the workshop recognize that the dioxin problems cannot be solved in one week. Not all participants agreed with all of the solutions that were proposed at the seminar; however, all agree that dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants are a serious environmental and health problem in Russia. Many suggestions were made on how to reduce and eliminate dioxin production and exposure, and many were committed to achieving this goal. Following is a compilation of results, information and strategies that were discussed and in some instances agreed upon in the science, technology and citizen action breakout groups. This report, representing eight days of intensive work, will provide the basis for cooperation on important projects, continued exchange of information and new strategies to address the dioxin problems in Russia. SCIENCE 1. Documenting Dioxin Exposure; Conducting Dioxin Analysis; Experience with Lake Baikal and Dzerzhinsk: Data was presented at the workshop on two specific Russian regions.
Participants defined two priority directions for on-going work in this area:
2. Human Health Aspects: Toxicology, Epidemiology, Occupational Health, Women’s Health:
3. Dioxins and Wildlife: Impacts of Dioxins/Furans, PCBs, and other POPs onWildlife: PAHs, DDT and other organochlorines are found at elevated concentrations in some species of birds and in seals in the Lake Baikal area. Sources of these contaminants are not known. Participants learned that the population of the Imperial Eagle is declining on Lake Baikal, along with other eagle species and other wildlife. They will begin work to determine one cause of the decline with the analysis of one eagle egg. Participants from the Baikalsk Institute of Ecological Toxicology, Moscow State University, Prebaikalsk National Park, the Canadian Wildlife Service, the United States Geological Survey, the lrkutsk Institute of Geochemistry SB RAN, and Institut fur Ostseeforschung (Wamemunde, Germany) will continue to work together to determine if dioxins or other POPs are causally related to the observed problems in Imperial Eagles, as well as identify patterns of exposure and effects in other wildlife from the Lake Baikal Region. TECHNOLOGY 1. Options for Dioxin-Free Paper and Pulp Production in Russia: Many of the discussions in this section were focused on how to clean up stockpiles of paper mill sludges and wastes from the Baikalsk paper mill. At least 11 destruction technologies were described and discussed. Ten of these technologies, which are alternatives to incineration, have been evaluated by various national and international agencies. The eleventh involving a modification to a burning process, is under development in Russia. This Russian technology was discussed in detail and it was agreed that the question of the Baikalsk sludge could be discussed only after a whole range of possible technologies could be compared. Pat Costner reported on the effectiveness of other "destruction" incineration technologies each with varying degrees of effectiveness. Some of the ten non-incineration technologies are already in commercial use in other countries such as Australia, the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Russian paper manufacturers need to be advised to look into the possibility of using alternative fibres for paper making, particularly as these do not require chlorine bleaching. Participants of the workshop recommended that impacted residents be informed about waste destruction alternatives and that an evaluation of these alternatives, involving all stakeholders (citizens of Baikalsk, city administration, Baikalsk Paper and Pulp Mill (BPPM), and independent experts) be conducted. The evaluation will be organized by the Baikal Environmental Wave with the assistance of US partners. Over the course of the week, three meetings were held with the management of the BPPM about the proposed Russian technology. 2. Incineration as a Principal and Avoidable Source of Dioxin; Non-Combustion Methods of Waste Disposal: Starting with an overview of present waste management practices in Russia, we were informed that 97% of the total municipal solid waste is being Iandfilled or openly dumped. The remainder is being recycled/composted or incinerated. A source of dioxin from current waste management practices seems to be from accidental and incidental landfill fires, due to the presence of PVC plastic and other chlorine containing items in the landfills. It appears that the immediate concern to the protection of human health and the environment is to improve current waste management practices. Policies need to be considered that include waste prevention, recycling, composting and sanitary landfill practices. In this workshop a variety of ideas were exchanged about how communities can address solid waste problems. Experiences from the US, Germany and Russia were discussed and some basic issues were agreed upon:
The following ideas, suggestions and :strategies were also discussed
CITIZEN ACTION 1. Stop Dioxin Exposure Campaign in Russia: organization of local campaigns, public education, citizen action: Participants representing a variety of dioxin hot-spots in Russia and the United States developed strategy for an on-going grassroots campaign in Russia. The Campaign will begin in the following regions: Baikal Region, Western Siberian, North-West Russia, and the Volga Region. Initial actions include:
2. Training for Facilitators: Taking Action at Community Level for Long-Term Sustainable Development of Baikalsk: A key element of sustainable development is the capacity of a community to conduct open, public dialogue. This is an essential step towards the community-based decision making that enables a community to respond successfully to inevitable change and plan for a resilient economy that is ecologically responsible and equitable for its citizens. 15 Baikalsk residents participated in the workshop including local business people, artists, pensioners, writers, artists, teachers, representatives of the Paper and Pulp Mill, the local government, and the Institute of Ecological Toxicology. They learned the principles of sustainable development and a range of group process skills. This workshop DID NOT deal specifically with dioxin-related or environmental problems. Participants planned and conducted a public meeting on which was attended by over 50 local people and workshop participants. The meeting included the creation of a timeline of Baikalsk’s history; developing elements of a shared vision of the future; an analysis of the present (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats); and a brainstorm of possible projects on which to move forward. The residents prioritized the following four:
An equally important outcome was the attitudinal shift among the workshop participants. At the beginning of the week several expressed strong skepticism about the possibility of a public meeting which would be open and nonconfrontational. After the meeting, they expressed new hope, optimism and a commitment to continuing the work of sustainable development. POLICY 1. Russia’s Participation In International Convention to Eliminate Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Independent scientists and non-governmental environmental organizations discussed priorities for expediting Russia’s participation in the newly-initiated UNEP Convention to Eliminate POPs. The following suggestions were made:
Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is the world's oldest lake believed to be between 25 and 50 MILLION years old. By contrast the second oldest lake, Lake Tanganyika in Africa, is 2 million years old and Lake Tahoe is a mere 10,000 years old. Most lakes fill with sediment in about 20,000 years, but Baikal has survived because it is on a geological rift that grows nearly an inch a year - enough to accommodate the silt and animal remains that drift to the bottom. Lake Baikal is also the largest lake with 20% of the world's fresh water supply. The 400-mile long lake has more water than is in all the Great Lakes combined. 335 rivers feed into the Lake and one drains out of it, the Angara River. 70% of species found in the Region are found nowhere else in the world. Lake Baikal is cherished by Russians as the "Jewel of Siberia", because of its beauty and clarity. Baikal is more like an inland sea than lake, with the world's only species of freshwater seals, a complex system of self-purification and hot water vents that nurture life in the deep. The Region has been inhabited and considered sacred by many different, non-Slavic cultures for centuries. The Olkhon Island is thought to be the birthplace of the Mongolian ruler, Genghis Khan. In 1996, UNESCO named Lake Baikal a "World Heritage Site, placing 3.15 hectares under International protection." Lake Baikal is more than a mile deep, and scientists estimate that its sediment extends four more miles beneath the lake floor. The accumulated deposits are a treasure trove for scientists, who hope that they will provide a detailed picture of climatic and evolutionary change over the millennia. A natural laboratory of creation and evolution, it is studied by scientists from around the world as a key to understanding global climate change. The diversity of Baikal's plant and animal life makes the lake as valuable for modern-day scientists as the Galapagos Islands were for Charles Darwin more than a century ago. Among the two dozen scientific expeditions to the lake each year, a team of American, Russian and Japanese experts has begun taking core samples from the lake bottom. When the lake freezes over during the subzero winter, they drill from a barge frozen in the ice. An earlier 650-foot-long sample provided a geological record dating back more than 2.5 million years. This winter, they hope to extract sediment going back more than 2.5 million years. This winter, they hope to extract sediment going back more than 5 million years. These samples are especially important because they provide the continental record to compare with ocean-floor data. Scientists can also study the pace of evolution and compare it with climatic change. Lake Baikal supports more than 2,500 species - including 960 kinds of animals and 400 plants found only here. Among them are the nerpa, a freshwater seal that migrated from the Arctic a million years ago. One of the main reasons for the lake's purity is the tiny but abundant ephisura, a crustacean that ingests algae and bacteria. Lake Baikal offers a unique opportunity to study speciation in the context of global change. The sediments provide an uninterrupted record of the past. One can find out how fast the climate changed and study the molecular clock and changes in DNA. Scientists also can study the effect of pollution on an ecosystem that was largely untouched until the industrialization arrived in the 1930's. Today, Lake Baikal faces a variety of threats:
Pulp and Paper Mill
Day in and day out, brown smoke pours from the mill's giant smokestacks, creating a haze that hangs over the nearby mountains and turns the trees brown. Officials acknowledge that the plant pumps more than 23 tons of pollutants into the atmosphere daily. The mill also produces 2 tons of solid waste every day. It smells like rotten eggs- even after it is buried. Mill officials try to downplay the danger to the environment with little success. Driven by Cold War competition with the United States, the government built the mill in the early 1960's to produce high-quality cellulose for military aircraft tires. Despite unusually vocal protests from residents, the Soviets chose Baikal because its pure water would make the best cellulose. By 1986, the high level of pollution had become apparent even to Moscow, and the Soviets ordered the mill to shut down. Instead the government went out of business and the plant continued operating. Now, with the collapse of the Communist industrial system the mill has been partially privatized and makes pulp for low-quality paper rather than cellulose. It has managed to stay afloat and pay its workers on time. But if required to cough up the hundreds of thousands of dollars it owes for environmental damage, it most likely would go bankrupt. The mill with its 30-year-old equipment, is nearing the end of its life span. No money has been invested in a decade, but its managers and workers are eager to keep the mill open so they can continue living in Baikalsk. The town of 17,000 people depends on the mill. In Soviet times, the company town was an oasis of privilege, with high salaries and well-stocked stores. Its climate is unusually mild for Siberia, and locals like to call it "subtropical". They can grow strawberries in the summer, ski in the winter and enjoy the lake - assuming they can ignore the smoke, the smell and the reports of health problems caused by toxic waste. In an attempt to save both the mill and the lake, the U.S. Agency for International Development paid the American firm CH2M Hill to draft a plan for rebuilding the factory. Under the proposal, the mill would switch to a non-chlorine manufacturing process--eliminating dioxin, waste water and the burning of coal--and begin making newsprint, paper towels and sanitary napkins, mainly for export to China. The biggest drawback of the project is its $600 million price tag, and exorbitant amount in poverty-stricken Russia. The government is considering whether to back the plan, which would be a first step in attracting U.S. investors. Without federal support for the proposal the rundown mill will likely be forced to close. Some environmentalists argue that letting the mill go out of business is the best alternative. There is no longer any justification for keeping a factory on the shore of the lake. According to Tatyana Markova of the Baikal Environmental Wave, "Even if the mill becomes the best possible mill in the world, it doesn't belong at Lake Baikal." Experts agree that the best way to protect the lake and have jobs is to develop ecologically sensitive tourism. If Russia and foreign investors had the same $600 million to spend, they could create a world-class tourist center with new roads, lake-shore hotels, docks and ski resorts.
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Sponsored by the EcoBridge Enviromnental Programs of CEC International Partners, the program will provide an exchange of information and training on dioxin and methods of reducing dioxin levels. Dioxins are a highly toxic by-product of the chemical and paper-bleaching industries and can also be released during the incineration of municipal and toxic wastes. They can cause cancer, immune system suppression and damage to the nervous and reproductive systems. The US and Russia are the leading sources of dioxin, but Russia is the only country in the industrialized world that has not implemented a government plan to reduce dioxin contamination. To begin developing a strategy, a delegation of North American and Russian scientist came together, this will be the Third meetings.
