On July 25, conference "Waste. The problem of the 21st century", organized by the civil society of Komi, took place in Syktyvkar. The participants signed a resolution, demanding to adopt a law banning interregional transportation of waste and landfills, to stop the construction of "Ecotechnopark Shies" in Arkhangelsk Oblast, and to restore the territory. The conference was visited by the correspondent of "7x7".
About 100 people came to the first research-to-practice conference in Revolt Center. At the entrance, they were given leaflets, the text of the resolution, and questionnaires in which it was possible to choose how to help the protest on Shies.
Resident of the village of Madmas, which is 20 km from station Shies, Alexander Neiman spoke out at the conference. He told that in August 2018 they had noticed the export of sand and gravel from the quarry to the station and begun to demand from the administration to stop the export at least at night. There was no reaction, and activists blocked the road from the quarry to Shies. According to him, residents are going to organize a separate waste collection in Madmas:
— We already have a clean village, but I think it will be even better when children begin to collect garbage separately from childhood.
Alexander Neiman
While ecologist Alexander Sladkoshtiyev was speaking, a woman from the audience offered to give up all holidays, and to spend money on a recycling plant in Syktyvkar. Lawyer Lyudmila Parhachyova stated that landfill at Shies was being constructed by analogy with landfills of Volokolamsk, Timokhovo, Solopovo, and Yadrovo.
Lyudmila Parhachyova
By means of the resolution, the activists direct their demands to the government, the state Duma of Russia and the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the government of Moscow, Arkhangelsk Oblast and Komi Republic, the state Council and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the republic.
In the resolution, the activists demand:
- to amend the law on production and consumption of waste and introduce separate waste collection;
- to legislate the status of the concepts of "ecotechnopark", "landfill for disposal of waste", "waste incineration plant", "waste recycling plant" and to introduce responsibility for their misuse;
- to develop and implement programmes on separate collection, recycling, utilization, and disposal of waste in educational institutions.
In the summer of 2018, people became aware of the construction of the landfill at Shies station on the border of Komi and Arkhangelsk Oblast for waste from Moscow. Residents of the neighboring regions came together and have been holding protests from August 2018. In December 2018, activists organized a round-the-clock watch on Shies to record violations independently.
Company "Technopark" has officially declared the termination of works at the construction site from June 15 and the beginning of examinations and inspections. Part of the equipment was removed from Shies, but eco-activists continue to monitor the territory. Indefinite protests, joined by other regions, continue in cities and towns.
