The Lena river is not just a blue line on the map of Russia. And the “East Siberia – Pacific Ocean” Oil Pipeline (ESPO) crossing of the river is not just another hydro-technical construction on one of the biggest Siberian rivers.

With the aim to protect this mighty river we organized the first stage of the social action “Save Lena river!” in 2008. We urged the company and government to minimize the ecological risks by using the tunnel method of crossing. The action went with big public involvement – we managed to unite our forces and gathered more than 20 thousand voices for Lena’s protection, which sent to the government of Russia (see the results of the first stage of the action in a specified section of the website). But not counting all this public opinion, in spring of 2009 they built the ESPO trench crossing of Lena.

But the ESPO underwater crossing of the river Lena is nothing but an oil “bomb”. We call it this way, because the effect of oil spills on this river - one of the biggest and clearest rivers in the world, which nourishes the area compared to the European Union - can be as destructive as bomb affect. And this “bomb” is being set not counting the local government and peoples’ opinion. Such situation is a result of too short time-limits set by the Russia's government for construction of this giant project. Non-responsible and quick-profit oriented attitude of giant transnational corporation, Transneft, also plays great role.

Why would oil spills on the trench crossing happen?

The ESPO project has the crossing of the Lena river at Solyanka village down from the town of Olyokminsk.

The method of the crossing was changed without open public discussion: neither the government nor the people of the republic were informed of the Transneft’s decision to change from the micro-tunnel to the trench method, which then was approved by the state ecological expertise.

According to the specialists of the Institute of the Physical and Technical Problems of the North, the Institute of Geology and Precious Metals, the Institute of Permafrost studies of RAS, Yakutsk Division of HydroMeteo Service of RF, the chosen place for the pipeline to cross the river adds risks for the possible oil spills from the trench as there are the following dangerous factors:

- one of biggest Siberian rivers, the Olyokma river, flows into the Lena river just 4 km upstream from the chosen place for the pipeline crossing. This fact rises the risk of ice jams while the break-up period (up to 40 feet high and 44 miles long ice flocks), which can dig up big wholes on the river bottom and destruct the trench;

- at the break-up period the Olyokma river can drag up big stones to the trench crossing place at break up time;

- the washing of soil and salt under the buried pipes, which may cause their deformation, and thus, oil spills;

- high possibility of earthquakes in the area of crossing due to the geological complexity of the area.

Deformation of the pipes in the trench can cause oil spill disaster:

- according to the projected calculations, the massive oil spill can elapse about 83333, 3 cu. feet of oil into the river;

- counting the average width of the river, 0,97 miles, this amount of oil will make about 500 miles oil front and the polluted oiled water will reach Yakutsk area in 4 days in summer;

- the company-customer of the project OJSK “Transneft” didn’t imply any alternative water supply for the settlements downstream in case of such oil spills;

- owing to the high toxic oil components such oil spill will do much harm to the fish, birds and to all living creatures inhabiting the bottom, the water and the banks (the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems data).

That’s why the leading scientists, ecologists from Yakutia and Far East are addressing the government of Russia in urge to switch the method of river crossing for the tunnel rather than the trench.

Moreover, the construction of the pipeline is being done with abundant violations of technical and juridical regulations. Thus, the controlling work by the Ministry for nature protection and Technical Survey Department of the Sakha republic in the year of 2007-08 has shown 97 violations of regulatory technical inscriptions and 86 violations of the nature protection laws!

The weak points of the trench method were obviously seen at two incidents happened on the gas pipeline crossing the river not far upstream from Yakutsk. And it was really hard (financially and technically) to eliminate the consequences of those gas spills and retain the functioning of the gas pipeline system.

The Save the River Lena Action is initiated by the Civic Coalition “Our homeland – Yakutia”, which then organized the Organizing Committee of the Action and Public Council of the Action. Any person obtaining high position in science, education, culture and arts is welcome to join the Public Council of the Action, as the Lena river is worldwide natural heritage.

The Action will last - at minimum - till Transneft company sets official dates for building of non-trench ESPO reserve crossing of Lena and other major water streams.

The Action is a set of informative, educational and agitation activities which are held with various frequency and with different people involved. Nowadays the Action is held as a social monitoring of the river's ecological state.

The Action is not against the ESPO oil pipeline, it is for rasing its ecological safety. We have strong hope that the leaders of our country and oil companies will not leave their trace in the history as those people who let the oil spills happen on our mighty rivers.

The Save the River Lena Action is out of the politics and commercial PR, this is a civic action. Politicians and political actions may support the action but with no advertisement of their affiliations.

The Action is still on , and we will be infroming you about its news.

Dear friends, let’s do it together – save our Lena river!