State Duma proposed to abolish state environmental assessment

Green light to environmental pollution

Deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation have prepared a bill proposing to abolish the mandatory state environmental review during the construction of the most dangerous facilities, such as, for example, incinerators and waste processing plants. In addition, expertise will not be needed for construction projects in specially protected natural areas.

Plant smog
Plant smog

The motives of those who developed such a bill are quite understandable. Now in many cases, conducting a state environmental assessment not only slows down the construction of enterprises, but in some cases makes them impossible. Many objects have can only be erected in locations where they are not any threat to nature, life and health of people. Many projects have to by modified, taking into account the comments and requirements of the review report. As a result, the cost of projects increases significantly, which brings additional costs to the owners of companies and investors.

The abolition of the state environmental review will reduce the cost of construction of these enterprises, reduce production costs, and reduce the cost of the production cycle itself. However, this raises the question of the safety of structures for people and the environment. Even now, there are many cases where cost savings and the pursuit of profit led to major environmental disasters that caused serious damage to the nature. The latest example is a major accident at a thermal power plant in Norilsk, as a result of which tens of thousands of tons of oil products fell into the ground and nearby water bodies. With the adoption of the new law, such accidents will become a daily occurrence. The business will get even more opportunities for the construction of factories that poison the environment and residential areas.

This situation is natural for capitalism, in which profit is the main measure of efficiency. Often, additional cleanup and safety requirements result in lower capital gains. Naturally, the capitalists are trying to eliminate all kinds of obstacles that limit earnings. However, the workers, above all, suffer from this. It is near their homes that dangerous enterprises will be built, it will be they who will work for these enterprises and suffer from emissions. That is why the struggle of the working people against capitalism is a struggle to preserve the environment, a struggle for the future of all mankind. The replacement of capitalism with a more progressive system will lead to an improvement in the ecological situation and a decrease in the burden on the environment.