Russian authorities will increase environmental control while developing its Arctic continental shelf, Deputy Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi said on Friday.
The ministry has already prepared a draft aimed at protecting the marine environment from oil contamination, Donskoi said.
The draft stipulates financial liabilities for companies to include insurance against risks and possible negative consequences of shelf exploration.
In accordance with the draft, each Arctic mineral developer will have to draft a special plan outlining environment protection measures in case of possible oil spills or other negative ecological events.
"The draft is currently being coordinated," the ministry said in a press release.
"The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico once again highlighted nature's vulnerability from humans. In the extreme environment of the Arctic with its permanent glaciers, even smaller disasters could lead to serious problems," Donskoi was quoted as saying by the ministry's press service.
The explosion in the BP-owned Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico triggered an environmental tragedy in the region. Estimates show that 4.1 to 4.9 million barrels of oil ended up in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill may reach other territories and environmentalists have said this may be echoed in the Arctic.
Russia needs a total of 9.3 trillion rubles ($310 billion) to fully implement its program for the study and development of its continental shelf, Donskoi said in October 2009.
MOSCOW, August 27 (RIA Novosti)
