Vladislav Larin - Review of the System of Environmental Monitoring in the Russian Federation and Former Soviet Union and Related Environmental Policy Issues. Thesis for MSc Degree, MCMXCVII

1.2.3. Co-operation among NIS countries in the monitoring of environmental pollution

Organisations of the Russian Federation, carrying out environmental monitoring and collection of environmental data, continue collaboration with similar bodies in the other republics of the former Soviet Union (CIS at present). Mostly with brunches of the RosGidromet and GosComStat. This collaboration isn’t effective enough and cannot satisfy the needs of researchers using this data (Dumnov, pers.comm.).

Main reasons for this is the poor financial support from the governments and the collapse of past networks used for collection and transfer of environmental information between republics of the former USSR. Besides, now the unwillingness of the governments of several CIS countries to provide information on the bad environmental situation in their countries is visible.

1.3. Problems of the creation of an Integrated State System for Environmental Monitoring (EGSEM)

1.3.1. Background of the problem

The question about the creation of the Integrated State System for the Environmental Monitoring has been discussed for more than 15 years already. According to its proponents it should be a system for collection of reliable and comprehensive information about the state of the environment on whole territory of the Russian Federation. The project of EGSEM should help all environmental organisations to use common standards, methods and unified technical equipment. In December, 1995, this problem was discussed at the regular meeting of the Interagency Commission on Ecological Security of the National Security Council of the Russian Federation. Following in the MinPrirodi of the Russian Federation (GosComEcologii at present) an order was signed concerning the acceleration of works for creation of EGSEM.

In accordance with last trends in the environmental policy of the Russian Federations the establishment of EGSEM does not seem a realistic project for the future several years (for details see Chapter 4.3.2.). The project as a whole could be realised only if sufficient funding is provided by the government.

1.3.2. Steps for creation of the EGSEM

In accordance with opinion of the experts, creation of the Integrated State System for the Environmental Monitoring should contain the following:

– monitoring of sources of anthropogenic pressure on the environment;

– monitoring of pollution of abiotic elements of the environment;

– monitoring of pollution of biotic elements of the environment;

– creation and application of environmental information systems.

All activities for the creation of EGSEM are carried out in accordance with the Decree of the Council of Ministers – Government of the Russian Federation, 24 November, 1993 (O povishenii effektivnosti…, 1995). Many official organisations were involved in this process, including: State Committee of the Russian Federation for Protection of the Environment, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Fuel and Energy, Committee for Soil Resources, Committee for the Resources of Bowels and several others.

In the different regions of the Russian Federation experimental branches of the EGSEM already exist. There are experimental departments on the territory of the Kurgan, Kaluga, Amur, Chelyabinsk, Perm’ and Orenburg oblasts (provinces); on the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi autonomy districts; in the republics of Mordovia, Karelia, Chuvashia; in the region of the Caucasus Mineral Waters (Stavropol Kray).

For example, as a result of collaboration between Kaluga’s Regional Committee for Ecology and GosComEcologii in the Kaluga region a second level Regional System of Environmental Monitoring was created. Moreover, the Regional Information and Analysis Center which works as a department of the Regional Committee for Protection of Nature of the Kaluga oblast was created. Besides there already exist a second level of System for Analysis of Environmental Information on the basis of geoinformation technology for saving and processing environmental data in the system Windows for Workgroups, Arc View – 1.2.

Another example for the future elements of the EGSEM is the regional subsystem of the Perm’ oblast where monitoring is organised for:

– state of the air;

– state of the surface waters;

– pollution of underground waters;

– state of the forests;

– discharge and pollution from the industry;

– environmental factors influencing public health (radiological, toxicological, sanitary-hygienic, micro biological and physical) (Gosudarstvenniy Doklad…, 1996).

1.3.3. Existed elements of the EGSEM

At present the regional branches of GosComEcologii are carrying out monitoring of the sources of air pollution (quantity and composition of pollutants emitted to the atmosphere from the industry, agricultural farms and transport). 18.380 sources in 459 cities of the Russian Federation are controlled (Gosudarstvenniy Doklad…, 1996).

The State Service of Monitoring of Environmental Pollution (GSN) is carrying out monitoring of pollution of abiotic elements of the environment in the framework of EGSEM. Main aims of this system are:

– data collection on the state and levels of contamination of atmospheric air, fresh and sea water, soils and geological systems;

– to supply of the organisations involved in the General State System for the Warning and Liquidation of Consequences of Emergency Situations with relevant prognostic and operational information for the purpose population security; mitigation of consequences of extraordinary situations; decrease losses for the economy from natural disasters and antropogenic accidents;

– to supply of the agriculture, forestry, water users and municipal authorities, power engineering, transport, construction and other services with information about expected unfavourable events in the state of environment which can affect their functioning (Gosudarstvenniy Doklad…, 1996).

In the framework of the State’s Service of Monitoring of Environmental Pollution in the Russian Federation monitoring of air pollution is carried out in 284 cities and at 664 stations (in 234 cities this monitoring is provided by the departments of RosGidromet).

State Monitoring for the Geological Systems (GMGS) is a federal system of monitoring, evaluation, control and prognosis of the state of geological systems and their changes. The system of GMGS functions on the territory of the Russian Federation and includes the following elements:

– state framework of monitoring including monitoring 15.000 sites of for underground waters; 700 points for dangerous exogenic processes; 5 ranges and 30 chinks for research and forecast of earthquakes and seismic monitoring; 1 geochemical range and 5 stations for monitoring of geocriogenesis;

– local frameworks of monitoring of underground resource use;

– 57 regional centres of GMGS are included in local geological committees and geological industrial bodies;

– 3 regional centres of GMGS created in Central, North-Western and North Caucasus Regional Geological Centres (Gosudarstvenniy Doklad…, 1996).

1.3.4. Planning elements of the EGSEM

In accordance with the Decree of the Council of Ministers – Government of Russian Federation from 21 November 1993 No 1229 all miniseries and organisations of the mining industry should provide environmental monitoring. Moreover, MinPrirodi approved project «Temporary order of the mining-industrial environmental monitoring».

In 1995 the State’s Inspection on the Safe Use of Underground Resources (GosGorTechNadzor) checked the state of the environmental monitoring in the main ministries and organisations of the mining industry. The results showed, that environmental monitoring was done on extremely seldom basis.