The law on permafrost can appear in Russia

Russian scientists suggest developing the interdepartmental program “Permafrost of Russia” and, probably, the law on permafrost. It is expected that specialists of the Russian academy of sciences, research institutes, extracting companies and also universities will be attracted to creation of the documents and implementation.

“The program should define the conceptual approach and the strategy of complex regional and monitoring geo-ecological study of cryolithozone on territories and water areas on the short-term and medium-term prospects of development and also elaboration and practical evaluation of progressive methods of construction”, — as the head of the sector of cryogenic, biological and information resources of the Arctic at Tyumen State University, an academician of the Russian academy of sciences Vladimir Melnikov said. – “Generalization of experience of the Arctic development on regions should be laid into the basis of the program”.

As the scientist explains, regional work and monitoring should be extended gradually, being ahead of advancement of economic projects in the Arctic to new territories. The corresponding state structures and economic subjects should take on solution of problems of development of cryolithozone and control over preservation of permafrost in ecologically acceptable limits: the Federation Council and the State Duma – legislative support of economy in the Arctic and the Subarctic, the Ministry of natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation — geocryological surveys of promising areas and territories.

Generalization of experience of economic development of territories and coordination of object monitoring will be laid on the Ministry of construction, housing and utilities of the Russian Federation, scientific support and education of personnel – on the Ministry for enlightenment and the Ministry of education and science, as the board of strategic communications at Tyumen State University informs. Companies – land users will be busy with background and object monitoring of license areas from the stage of exploration to complete land reclamation.

According to the academician, modern regulations of fulfillment of state ecological and technical control do not allow assessing effectiveness of influence of large objects of subsoil use on geological environment in general as well as to define the measure of responsibility of designers, builders and exploitation organizations at revealing of negative consequences in the process of subsoil use.