Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALMATY1435
2005-04-12 12:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
US Office Almaty
Cable title:  

ENVIRONMENTALISTS CHARGE OIL MAJORS WITH POLLUTING

Tags:  ENRG EPET KZ ECONOMIC 
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UNCLAS ALMATY 001435 

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/ESC (JONES),EUR/SNEC, EUR/CACEN (MUDGE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EPET KZ ECONOMIC
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTALISTS CHARGE OIL MAJORS WITH POLLUTING
KAZAKHSTANI VILLAGE


UNCLAS ALMATY 001435

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/ESC (JONES),EUR/SNEC, EUR/CACEN (MUDGE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EPET KZ ECONOMIC
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTALISTS CHARGE OIL MAJORS WITH POLLUTING
KAZAKHSTANI VILLAGE



1. (U) Summary: A coalition of Kazakhstani and U.S.
environmental activists charge the Karachagank Petroleum
Operating (KPO) with polluting the village of Berezovka, and
demand its relocation. KPO rejects these accusations and
points to extensive monitoring data. Local authorities
support KPO and reject the NGO allegations. In the absence of
an investigation by qualified, independent experts, existing
data appear to support KPO claims. End Summary.

--------------
The Environmentalist's Side
--------------


2. (U) The U.S. environmental watchdog "Crude Accountability"
(CA) has teamed up with activists from the village of
Berezovka (Burlinskii Raion,Western Kazakhstan Oblast) in a
campaign to relocate the village. Kate Watters, the head of
CA, and Svetlana Anosova, leader of group of Berezovka
activists, allege that flaring and other activity from
Karachagank Petroleum Operating (KPO) has polluted the
village and made life unbearable for its 1,300 residents.
Energy Officer and Energy FSN visited both KPO and Berezovka
(February 7-10, 2005).


3. (U) Berezovka lies about two kilometers south of the
so-called "Sanitary Zone" (SZ) of KPO. Co-operators Agip/Eni
and British Gas (each with a 32.5% stake) operate the mammoth
gas/condensate field, which boasts about 9 billion barrels
and 1.35 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves. Other
consortium partners include ChevronTexaco (20%) and Lukoil
(15%). KPO recently pumped in $4.3bn to expand production and
start an ambitious gas reinjection project. Production in
March 2005 averaged about 217,000 bpd, making KPO
Kazakhstan's second largest producer.


4. (U) NGO charges are based on monitoring and anecdotal
evidence of village residents. Monitoring by villagers, which
according to Watters was conducted on September 11 and
December 1 and 2 (2004) along EPA-approved lines, found the
following substances in the ambient air at "levels of
concern:"

--September 11: toluene; hydrogen sulfide; carbon sulfide;
methylene chloride; and acrylonitrile.

--December 1 and 2: carbon disulfide.

(Note: KPO alleges that this monitoring "does not give an
accurate reading" and is "very unscientific". It also
disputes whether the methodology is EPA-approved. End Note)

CA also cites Orenburg Oblast Ecology Department (Russian

Federation) data from October 30, 2004 showing hydrogen
sulfide in two neighboring Russian villages at 1.28 and 2.6
times the allowable level. The Russian/Kazakhstani border
runs just north of KPO operations.


5. (U) Villagers also report nausea, dizziness, headaches,
restricted breathing, and unpleasant odors. Activists logged
17 incidents between August 21, 2004 and February 9, 2005
when they encountered such symptoms. They also allege an
increase in skin rashes, children fainting, and bloody noses.
In addition, activists charge that local authorities
prevented about 60 villagers from having their blood checked
in Aksai, the regional center, in December 2004. (Note:
According to KPO, the death rate in Berezovka was slightly
higher than for Burlinski region as a whole, 8.3 per thousand
vs. 8.9 per thousand. They point out, however, that the birth
rate was twice as high. End Note.)


6. (U) Watters alleges that Anosova and other activists face
state-sponsored harassment for their activities. They brought
up the December 2004 incident, but did not mention other
intimidation. We met with Anosova and others in a village
music school without incident.

--------------
The Resettlement of Tungush: Why not us?
--------------


7. (U) Clearest evidence for relocating Berezovka--at least
in the eyes of the environmentalists -- is the earlier
resettlement of the nearby village of Tungush. Tungush was
relocated because it fell within the SZ of KPO, which at the
time was 5km. Under Kazakhstani law, all human habitation
within the SZ must be resettled. KPO financed the $9.9m
dollar move. Anosova, the activist, complained that, "In 2002
they promised to resettle both Tungush and Berezovka."
R.KH.Suyerbayev, the head of the Western Kazakhstan Oblast
environmental authority, confirmed this.



8. (U) In January 2004, however, GOK health authorities, in
consultation with KPO, reduced the SZ from 5 to between 3 and
3.84 kilometers. According to KPO, the new sanitary zone more
accurately reflects the function of emission sources in light
of present KPO operations and improvements, namely gas
reinjection. KPO points out that even under the 5-km SZ only
a small portion of Berezovka fell inside, and then no houses.
The Oblast head of environmental monitoring confirmed KPO's
claims. He added that,"the villagers are distraught because
Tungush was resettled (and they were not).

--------------
KPO's Side
--------------


9. (U) KPO rejects pollution claims, and points to monitoring
data from the ten villages surrounding the field as well as
from the regional center of Aksai. KPO voluntarily monitors
emissions in the villages outside of the SZ four times daily.
Gidromet, a state licensed lab under contract by KPO,
conducts the monitoring. Results are sent to Oblast
environmental authorities. Under the law, KPO is required
only to monitor along the SZ and at the plant. (Note:
Villagers claim the Gidromet is not accredited and its
results are not verified.)


11. (U) Monitoring Date for Berezovka, 2004, (data for
Berezovka/allowable norm)

--H2S, Hydrogen Sulfide, (.001/.008)
--S02, Sulfur Dioxide, (not detected/.05)
--N02, Nitrogen Dioxide, (.018/.04)
--CO, Carbon Monoxide, (1.6/3.0)

measurement mg/m3

Readings for 2002 and 2003 are twice those for 2004 but well
within allowable norms. Readings in other villages and Aksai
are also within allowable norms.


12. (U) To bolster its argument, KPO makes the followings
points:

--Use of "best practices" and World Bank standards.
Elimination of pollution at the source. Resettlement only as
a last resort;

--Design of KPO facility to eliminate flaring waste gas from
production units. One-half of all gas produced reinjected.

--Use of "green burner" technology when new wells are cleaned
and tested to eliminate soot and particulates. Since first
introduction of waste gas handling in October 2003 at Unit 3,
95% reduction in flaring emissions.

--------------
The Authorities' Side
--------------



13. (U) Oblast authorities, from central authorities down to
the village headman, reject claims of pollution and calls for
relocation. The Oblast epidemiological doctor stated that
there was no excessive emission of the four monitored
chemicals (Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen
Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide). He added that, "A smell is a
smell, but a concentration is another thing. There is no
basis for resettlement, even if you include health
statistics." The Director of Public Health said that after a
2004 health inspection in the village, 16% of Berezovka
villagers were healthy and 65% were "nearly healthy", i.e. no
chronic illnesses. The Akim (centrally-appointed
administrator) of Burlinskii raion complained that villagers
were tempted by the compensation the relocated Tungush
villagers received. (Note: KPO has or will provide gas to the
villages--including a free hook-up for Berezovka, a new water
hook-up, and has remodeled Berezovka's school. End Note).


14. (U) Comment: Short of independent experts conducting a
study, post does not have the expertise to judge definitively
the merits of each side. That said, existing data appear to
support KPO. In past cases, GOK authorities have used
environmental issues, whether justified or not, to extract
fines. KPO and authorities, however, should have done a
better job of explaining to Berezovka villagers why the
scope of the Sanitary Zone was limited. End Comment.
ORDWAY


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