MOSCOW (AFP) – Hundreds of people protested on Sunday in Moscow against the reopening of a factory environmentalists say will lead to waste being dumped into the world's oldest lake, a Greenpeace activist said.

"The fate of (factory) workers must be decided while taking into account the fate of (Lake) Baikal -- and not that of the oligarchs," Russian writer Valentin Rasputin said in a message read out during the protest.

Greenpeace activist Evgeny Usov put the number of protesters at nearly 1,000.

The cellulose factory, on the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia, was closed in October 2008, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin authorised its reopening earlier this year.

It was controlled until recently by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, but he announced in February that slightly more than a quarter of his capital was transferred to one of his partners, making him a minority shareholder.

The state holds a 49 percent stake.

Cellulose is used to manufacture a range of products, including paper.

Environmentalists say its reopening will allow waste water to be dumped into the lake and rubbish to be burned on its shores.

Lake Baikal, a UN World Heritage site, is believed to be 25 million years old. It is the world's deepest and contains 20 percent of the globe's total unfrozen freshwater reserves, according to UNESCO.

On Saturday, nearly 200 people turned out in central Saint Petersburg as environmental organisations warned of turning the lake into waste water.

Nearly 700 people turned out to back Putin's decision in the town of Baikalsk, where the mill is located.



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The Galapagos of Russia: Protecting Lake Baikal

Baikal Explorer

Northwestern shore - Baikalo-Lensky National Park and "Brown Bear Shores" Forest

Known as the "Galapagos of Russia," Lake Baikal is located in southern Siberia near the Russian-Mongolian border. The oldest and deepest lake in the world, Baikal reaches a depth of 1,700 meters and contains 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater reserve. Lake Baikal is a unique ecosystem that is home to more than 1,700 species of endemic plants and animals. Surrounded by steep mountains and dense forests, the lake has an estimated age of 25-30 million years, making it one of the most ancient lakes in geological history.

Over the past century, Lake Baikal has faced major threats from development. On the southern end of the lake, the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill polluted Baikal for more than 40 years. In 2006, the lake was spared certain disaster from oil spill when the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline was rerouted outside of the lake’s watershed. Today, development of a planned zinc and lead mine and construction of an International Uranium Enrichment Center in the town of Angarsk threaten the region. Another elusive threat to Baikal comes from irresponsible gold mining in the portion of the lake’s watershed located in Mongolia.

Thankfully, a vibrant network of grassroots activists and environmental organizations is working to protect Lake Baikal from these threats and to promote alternatives for the region’s development. One of our partners, Marina Rikhvanova, was awarded the 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize for her remarkable achievements in the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline campaign. Click here to learn more about the specific projects we support in the Lake Baikal region.

HERE