Baikal pulpmill will officially close on December 25

“A landmark event for the whole environmental community – official closure of the Baikal pulp and paper mill – will be held on December 25, 2013,” said the Minister of natural resources and ecology Sergey Donskoy at the meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on protection of Lake Baikal.

The government of the Russian Federation announced the decision to close Baikal pulp and paper mill in the beginning of 2013; on September 16, insolvency administrator of the mill Alexander Ivanov informed about the mill stoppage. However, the gradual closure of the enterprise in compliance with all environmental norms will take at least two years.

The minister also noted that the construction of hydropower station with a capacity of 350 MW on the River Selenga and a dam on the River Orkhon, proposed by Mongolia, may adversely affect the ecosystem of Lake Baikal and is inconsistent with the obligations of both countries to protect cultural and natural heritage.

In solving the matter of heat supply of the town of Baikalsk, preference should go to alternative energy sources, minister added.