Ecologists suggest UN representatives to remove Sochi Olympiad objects away from reserves

Public ecological organizations are protesting against construction of some of the Olympic objects. They think it was a blunder to select Sochi as the place for Winter Olympics. This opinion was made public at the meeting that took place on April 8th at the central office of the Sochi National Park.

Among the participants of the meeting were representatives of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) - the UN agency in charge of assessing the global environment. Ecologists were represented by the International Social-Ecological Union, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Public Ecological Council of Sochi, Geographical Society of Sochi and other public environment-oriented organizations.

The International Social-Ecological Union has voiced against constructions of the 3rd series of mountain-ski routes in Rose-Khutor, cargo ports in the Imereti Lowland, roads across the Caucasian Reserve, sledge-bobsleigh track and other objects on the Grushevoy Ridge.

The Union has suggested fixing legislatively the mandatory ecological examination of all the economic projects planned for erection in specially protected natural territories. It finds it necessary to exclude any constructions not related directly to 2014 Olympics from the land plots where placement of Olympic objects is planned. Besides, a desire was announced to strengthen public control over the construction process: to monitor wood-cutting, dynamics of environment pollution, and make inventory of rare and endangered species of plants and animals in build-in areas.

"Our demand to move Olympic objects out of the protection zone of the Caucasian Reserve is accompanied by alternative variants," Valery Brinikh, co-chairman of the International Social-Ecological Union and a participant of the meeting, told the "Caucasian Knot". "As of today, our former unit, the 'Transparent World' organization, has prepared 19 alternative variants for placing the sledge-bobsleigh track, ready for further discussion."