Review of the System of Environmental Monitoring in the Russian Federation and Former Soviet Union and Related Environmental Policy Issues. Thesis for MSc Degree, MCMXCVII

© Vladislav Larin, 2019

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A thesis submitted to the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy of the Central European University in part fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Science (MSc Environmental Sciences and Policy)

Review of the System of Environmental Monitoring in the Russian Federation and Former Soviet Union and Related Environmental Policy Issues

Vladislav I. Larin

September 1997

Budapest

Author’s Declaration

No portion of the work referred to in this thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification at this or any other university or institute of learning.

Vladislav Larin

Notes on copyright and the ownership intellectual property rights

Copyright in text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the Author and lodged in Central European University Library. Details may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writhing) of the Author.

The ownership of any intellectual property rights which may be described in this thesis is vested in the Central European University, subject to any prior agreement to the contrary, and may not be made available for use by thirds parties without the written permission of the University, which will prescribe the terms and conditions of any such agreement.

For bibliographic and references purposes this dissertation should be referred to as:

Larin, V.I. 1998. A Review of the System of Environmental Monitoring in the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union and Related Environmental Policy Issues. Master of Science thesis, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, Budapest.

Address of Central European University

CEU, Environmental Sciences and Policy

Nador ut. 9, 1051-H, Budapest, Hungary

Address of Author

123060, Russia, Moscow, St. Marshala Biruzova, 40—37

larin.vlad@gmail.com

Further information on the conditions under which disclosures and exploitation may take place is available from the Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all I am very grateful to my sons for their understanding during the period of my working on this dissertation.

Moreover, I would like to thank the following persons and institutions without whose kind help the work on this dissertation could not be successful:

Dr. R.Mnatsakanian, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy (Central European University), for consultations and providing helpful references.

Staff of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy (Central European University) for support all my activities during preparation this dissertation and Dr. E.Bellinger, Head of Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy for his general guidance.

Experts of different official and non-official organisations for their time and kind readiness for consultations:

Dr. Yablokov A.V., Chairman of Interagency Commission on Ecological Security of National Security Council of Russian Federation, Associated Member of Russian’s Sciences Academy;

Dr. Buyvolov Y.V., chemist of Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Climate of RosGidromet;

Dr. Dumnov A.D., Head of Department of the Environmental Statistics of the GosKomStat of Russian Federation;

Dr. Genichovich E.L., Head of Laboratory of Main Voeykov Geophysical Observatory;

Dr. Komarov A.V., Head of Main Department of Management of Scientific-Technical Supplement of Information of GosComEcologii;

Dr. Laychtman V.I., Director of firm «Integral»;

Dr. Nikolaev V.D., Head of environmental programs NPK"Atmosphere»;

Dr. Tsaturov Y.S., Head of Main Department for Ecological Programmes and Monitoring of Environmental Pollution of Federal Service for the Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Russian Federation;

Dr. Zabelin S.I., member of Board of Socio-Ecological Union;

Mr Fiodorov A.V., Director of the Center for Co-ordination of Socio-Ecological Union.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CAO – Central Aerologycal Observatory;

CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States (Newly Independent States without Baltic States);

CKI SoES – Center of Co-ordination of Information of Socio-Ecological Union;

CNIImah – Central Research Institute of Machine-Building;

CNIITEneftehim – Central Research Institute of Technical-Economical Research and Information of Oil Processing and Oil-Chemistry Industry;

DOP – guard for environmental protection;

DSP – Information «for official use only» (kind of classified instruction);

EGSEM – Integrated State System for the Environmental Monitoring;

EIA – Environmental impact assessment;

EU – European Union;

FNPR – Federation of National Trade Unions;

GenProkuratura – Main Prosecutor’s Office;

GGI – State Hydrological Institute;

GGO – Main Voeykov Geophysical Observatory;

GHI – Hydrochemical Institute;

GidrometCenter – Hydrometeorological Research Centre;

GMGS – State Service for Monitoring of Geological Systems;

GOIN – State Oceanographic Institute;

GosAtomNadzor – State Atomic Inspection;

GosComEcologii – State Committee of the Russian Federation for Protection of the Environment;

GosComGidromet – former name of RosGidromet;

GosComOboronProm – State Committee of Defence Industry;

GosComSanEpidNadzor – State Committee of Sanitary-Epidemic Inspection;

GosComStat – State Committee of Statistics;

GosGorTechNadzor – State Inspection of Safe Use of Mineral Resources;

GosStandart – State Standartisation Committee;

GRID – UNEP’s Global Resources Information Database;

GSMOS – Global System of Environmental Monitoring;

GSN – State Service of Monitoring of Environmental Pollution;

IEM – Institute of Experimental Meteorology;

IGKE – Institute of Global Climate and Ecology;

IPG – Fiodorov Institute of Applied Geophysics;

MCS – Ministry of Emergency Situations;

MedSocEcoInform – Federal Research Institute of Medicine and Public Health, Research Holding;

MinAtom – Ministry of Nuclear Industry;

MinJust – Ministry of Justice;

MinKul’tury – Ministry of Culture;

MinNauki – Ministry of Science;

MinOborony – Ministry of Defence;

MinObrazovaniya – Ministry of Education;

MinPrirodi – former name of State Committee of the Russian Federation of Protection of the Environment;

MinResursov – Ministry of Natural Resources;

MinSel’Hoz – Ministry of Agriculture;

MinSel’HozProd – Ministry of Agricultural Production;

MinStroy – Ministry of Construction;

MinTopEnergo – Ministry of Fuel and Energy;

MinTrans – Ministry of Transportation;

MinZdrav – Ministry of Health;

MinZdravMedProm – Ministry of Health Services Industry;

MPR – Ministry of Natural Resources;

MPS – Ministry of Rail Roads;

MVD – Ministry of Internal Defence;

NEAP – National Environmental Action Plan;

NEHAP – National Environmental Health Action Plan;

NGO – non-governmental organisation;

NIIAT – Research Institute of Automobile Transport;

NIS – Newly Independent States;

NPGO GGP – Neva’s Geological Holding of State’s Geology Enterprise «NevskGeologiya»;

OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development;

OGSNK – State Monitoring Service for the Pollution Control and System for the Complex Monitoring of Background Pollution;

PP – public participation;

RAEN – Russian Academy of Natural Science;

RAN – Russian Academy of Science;

RAO – Russian Academy of Education;

RKA – Russian Space Agency;

RosComLes – Committee of Forestry;

RosComMetallurgy – State Committee of Metallurgy;

RosComNedra – State Committee of Resources of the Entrails;

RosComNefteHimProm – State Committee of Oil Processing;

RosComPechati – State Committee of Publishing;

RosComRibolovstva – State Committee of Fisheries;

RosComVod – State Committee of Water Resources;

RosComVUZ – State Committee of High Education;

RosComZem – State Committee of Soil Resources;

RosGidromet – Federal Service for the Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of the Russian Federation;

RosLesProm – State Committee of Forest Industry;

RosRibHoz – former name of Committee of Fishery;

SEMK – System of Environmental Monitoring for the Cosmodromes and Rockets Launches;

SoER – State of Environment Reporting;

SoES – Socio-Ecological Union;

UNEP – United Nations Environment Programme;

USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;

VNIEMS – Russian Research Institute of Economy of Mineral Resources and Using of Entrails;

VNIILM – Russian Research Institute of Forestry and Mechanisation;

VNIINMASH – Russian Research Institute of Standardisation and Certifying of Machine-Building;

VNIIPRH – Russian Research Institute of Ponds Fish Production;

VNIRO – Russian Research Institute of Seas Fishery and Oceanography;

VOOP – Russian Society of Environmental Protection;

VSEGINGEO – Russian Research Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology;

ABSTRACT

A Review of the System of Environmental Monitoring in the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union and Related Environmental Policy Issues

A thesis submitted to the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy of the Central European University in part fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Science’

1998

Vladislav I. Larin

Budapest

A system of environmental monitoring has existed in the former Soviet republics (Newly Independent States at present) for several decades. As a result of total secrecy over many years, environmental information was inaccessible for independent researchers. Now that information is not secret, it does not mean, however, that has become more accessible That is why there are very few completed research works devoted to this problem.

This dissertation considers the system for collecting environmental information in the former Soviet republics as a whole and by departments involved in the system of environmental monitoring. This research represents part of a broader study including the systematising of environmental information which is partly presented in Appendix 4. Moreover, another aim of this dissertation was an attempt to study ways of implementing results of environmental monitoring into the state of environmental reporting and environmental policy of the Russian Federation.

The institutional and legislative framework for environmental policy in the Russian Federation and ways of using environmental data for decision-making are briefly analysed and ways of improving this practice are discussed. The diversity and acceptability of environmental information and different limitations for its in the governmental and non-governmental organisations are considered. In the conclusion, the following are discussed: the state of system for collection of environmental data; ways of improving the process of adoption of environmental policy; and ways of collaborating between governments and NGOs in this way.

KEYWORDS

environmental information, environmental data, environmental monitoring, environmental indicators, environmental policy, state of environment, environmental legislation, censorship, former USSR, Russian Federation, GosComStat, RosGidromet, GosComEcologii, State of Environment Reporting, NGO, public participation.

INTRODUCTION

The system for data collection on the state of the environment and on physical, chemical, meteorological and hydrological processes in nature has been created in the USSR back in 1929 (GosComGidromet, Reference book, 1990). It was named State Hydrometeorological Service of the USSR (GosComGidromet for short).

Later (from the mid 70es), when global environmental pollution had increased, and there was universal concern about the state of the environment, all countries began to develop environmental monitoring networks. Similar system was created in the USSR on the basis of the existing grid of hydrometeorological stations of GosComGidromet.

Moreover, plants, factories, transport enterprises and agricultural farms were bound to supply data about amount of emitted pollutants for statistical organisations. There was data collected on felling forests and forest fires, on air, water and soil pollution, on soil erosion, on epidemic and other illnesses possibly linked with the changing state of the environment.

All collected information was kept in departments of different ministries, but a very narrow group of people could only use it because all information on the state and pollution of the environment was confidential. This information was used only by some officials for preparation of classified reports for the Central Committee of CPSU and the Soviet Government on medical and environmental problems. No publisher could publish an article or book with data from issues or reference books which were classified or had a stamp «for official use only» («dlia slugebnogo pol’zovaniya» – in Russian pronunciation).

The necessity of research work devoted to the analysis of the system of collection of environmental information and assessment of the degree of reliability of this data in the republics of the former USSR was clear several years ago – in the period of so called «ecological glasnost’». It was a time, when demand for publications on the state of the environment was great, but reliable information about on it was extremely rare. There were even serious scientists and scientific journalists, who wrote about environmental problems and were enforced to use superficial information, with considerable share of emotions. Censorship did not allow the use of occasionally found reference books of GosComGidromet or GosComStat for open publications. Therefore, serious research books were written only with the help of newspaper’s publications, because newspapers had more freedom than official issues.

At present, almost all materials of State environmental organisations are available for researchers. Political censorship disappeared, but new «democratic» bureaucracy is not willing to open accumulated information. Political censorship was substituted by commercial censorship, preventing independent scientists and investigators to use primary data. In the present dissertation system for collection of environmental data and methods of its implementation into the environmental policy in the former USSR and NIS countries was studied.

The objectives of the present study are as follows:

– To study the sophisticated system of environmental monitoring for the territory of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation as an example of Newly Independent State;

– To study the degree of reliability of sources of environmental information from different official and non-official organisations;

– To review place the and role of main environmental organisations in the system for collection of environmental information and the place and role of new participants in this process;

– To review the international system of environmental indicators and compare the systems of State of Environmental Reporting in the different NIS countries;

– To study the laws on environmental policy and briefly to review the ways of implementation of environmental information into the process of adoption and realisation of environmental policy.

The following methods of research has been used in this dissertation:

– review of environmental data collection from main governmental organisations involved in the system of environmental monitoring in the former USSR and in the Russian Federation at present;

– review of environmental data collection from non-governmental organisations in the Russian Federation and NIS countries;

– review of scientific articles, reference books, official documents, legislation and other related literature;

– personal communication with experts from governmental and non-governmental organisations (see Acknowledgement for details);

– analysis of the system of implementation of environmental data into the process of environmental policy.

Information and data used in this dissertation were drawn from publications and official documents found at:

– Library of the Moscow Ecopresscenter (Moscow, Russia);

– Library of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University (Budapest, Hungary);

– Collection of issues of Department of Air Pollution of Main Voeykov Geophysical Observatory (St.-Petersburg, Russia);

– Collection of issues of Department of Environmental Data State’s Committee for Statistics of the Russian Federation and Department of Environmental Data Committee for Statistics of the NIS countries (Moscow, Russia);

– Collection of issues of Department of Air Pollution of Federal Service of Russia for the Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Moscow, Russia).

Very important from the point of view of reliability of environmental data of the GosComGidromet were the personal communications during the scientific-methodological conference organised by the Main Voeykov Geophysical Observatory (division of RosGidromet) and the Research Institute of Preservation of Atmospheric Air (Main Department of GosComEcologii for methodical support of air pollution researches) named «Actual problems of evaluation of air pollution by industry and transport in the cities and regions – calculated and measured data» (St.-Petersburg, Russia, 24—28 June, 1997).

CHAPTER 1