Shell damaging environment in Russian far east, say green groups

Multinational oil company Royal Dutch Shell has caused severe ecological damage including widespread soil erosion and possible water contamination from toxic chemical leaks, in building its Sakhalin II oil and gas project on Sakhalin Island in the Russian far east, say environmentalists.
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Russian and American scientists from Pacific Environment, Sakhalin Environmental Watch and Cook Inletkeeper have taken pictures which they say show violations of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company’s river crossing strategy, international banking policies and Russian law, despite Shell’s public commitment to prevent environmental damage.

“Shell talks a big game about meeting international best practices,” said Doug Norlen, of Pacific Environment. “But pictures don’t lie. These photographs show that Shell’s words don’t match the situation on the ground.”

Caption: Barrels of toxic antifreeze near a river on Sakhalin Island; Pacific Environment say this was used illegally in winter pipeline tests

Source: Pacific Environment