Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan

30 July 2013, Tuesday

The Ministry of Transport and Roads RT held public hearings of assessment of the environmental impact of building high-speed rail line between Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod - Kazan - Yekaterinburg .

      In discussing the possible environmental effects of the project in Tatarstan BCM was attended by members of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan , representatives of municipalities , NGOs , political parties , academics , activists, representing the interests of different groups of Kazan. Just to attend the hearing registered more than 160 people.

      The discussion was the Minister of Transport and Roads RT Lenar Safin and deputy director of the Department of Construction and New Technology of " Speed Lines " (a subsidiary of JSC " Russian Railways ") Boiler Jury told about the nature of the project. They stressed that the HSR will connect the high-speed w / d post 3 of the federal district in which is concentrated a huge production and human potential.

      Recall the construction of high-speed rail provides several stages. First - this section Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod - Cheboksary - Kazan . From Kazan to Moscow at the high-speed line can be reached in 3.5 hours. Travel time between the capital of the region of about 1 hour. The second stage - the section from Kazan to Yekaterinburg, which will presumably through Yelabuga .

      As noted L.Safin and Yu.Kotlov , building high-speed rail will give a big multiplier effect for the economy as a whole. Representative of " Speed Lines ", in particular, noted that the project will help create new jobs and solve the problem of labor migration will increase the average wage in the region of the high-speed rail will reduce the cost of w / d traffic by separating freight and passenger routes transportation , will give impetus to the development of related industries. According L.Safina , experience in building high-speed rail in other countries suggests that such projects even contribute to a higher birth rate and improve the demographic situation.

      According to the preliminary draft of the length of the section of SCM on the territory of Tatarstan will be 244 km . As part of the design line assessment of the environmental impact assessment (EIA ) carried out an independent environmental company ZAO " EcoProject " (St. Petersburg). As told at today's hearing of the main expert Andrew Puzachenko , the project is associated with certain environmental costs . Thus, in particular, in the area of transport corridor fall into the Volga- Kama Reserve, National Park " Lower Kama" and 7 nature reserves . Prepared options include high-speed rail route detours past the protected zones.

      The main conclusion drawn by ecologists in the evaluation of the project of construction of SCM, according A.Puzachenko is, " When environmental measures and environmental compliance impacts on HPC environment can be reduced to an acceptable level. We are not saying that it will not, it can not be . Any construction leads to negative consequences. Here the question of admissibility. Route selection is up to the designer , but it must take into account our assessment. In addition to our estimates , even as economic, social and others. So the final step , I think it would be a compromise . "

      During today's hearing the main discussion revolved around the area of high-speed rail to the borders of Tatarstan Kazan. The entry route into the capital of Tajikistan provided through the northern w / w station from Cheboksary. To date, several variants of the route . In materials prepared for the public hearing , was presented three possible routes, most of which is considered acceptable is the northernmost . It practically does not affect the protected areas , in particular , the area of the lake Lebyazhe . However, this option makes it difficult to build a residential " sotsipotechnogo " neighborhood " Salavat Cooper " in the area of the village Zalesny . Therefore there was a fourth option, which today introduced the chief architect of the Kazan Tatiana Prokofiev. This option is slightly lengthens the workaround , but does not affect the strategically important areas of the city .

      In general, participants in the hearings were mixed in the estimates of the project - not only in terms of environmental costs , but also its economic feasibility (recall that pre- construction costs BCM from Moscow to Kazan - 1000000000000 . Rub.) . In particular, the opinion was expressed that the EIA of the project is not yet take into account all environmental aspects and needs a lot of improvement.

      Yuri boilers had to repeatedly emphasize that the project is conditional until the BCM and preliminary, and further design will be inspired by the in-depth analysis and expertise , as well as public opinion. Representative of " Speed Lines " promised that the practice of the public hearing will be continued at other stages of design.

                                                                                  "Tatar- Inform"

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