Public consultations (including public hearings) of the proposed activity
Pursuant to Federal Law No 7-FZ “On environmental protection” dated 10/01/2002, any proposed economic or other activity that may have a direct or indirect impact on the environment requires an environmental impact assessment. To make sure that a decision to launch a project is environmentally justified, the public’s perception of the project has to be determined, and for that, public consultations are held.
The public consultation procedure is regulated by Order No 372 “On approval of the environmental impact assessment procedure in Russia” of the State Committee for Environmental Protection dated 16/05/2000 and other laws and regulations issued by local authorities (where applicable).
Also, if a project envisages financing from international lenders , then the EIA process should include disclosure of project-related information and engagement of stakeholders to match requirements of international financial institutions (IFC, EBRD).
The main objectives of the public consultation process are:
- Inform the public about the proposed activity and associated environmental implications;
- Collect and review comments and suggestions; arrange an exchange of opinions through various formats;
- Select the public’s specific and justified proposals and requirements to EIA investigations and design solutions.
Specific activities here include:
- Development of a public consultation plan and its approval by local authorities;
- Establishment of community relations offices;
- Dissemination of project-related information to the public;
- Collection and recording of comments and suggestions;
- Holding of public consultations (hearings) jointly with local authorities.
SHANECO is highly experienced in conducting public hearings both as part of environmental support of projects and as a stand-alone activity:
| Project | Year |
| The Estosadok-Mzymtinsky water intake facility | 2009 |
| Water intake facility on the Psou river | 2009 |
| Water intake facility on the Beshenka river | 2009 |
| Water intake facility at the finish area, Roza Khutor ski resort, Krasnodar region | 2011 |
| Mining and concentration plant. Balkhachsky gold-bearing zone. Underground mine at the Zolotoye deposit. Southern Group site with an accommodation camp, Kamchatka Krai | 2012 |
| Construction of the Alagirsky Cement Plant, UGMK-Cement, North Ossetia | 2012 |
| Construction of a second waste disposal section as part of reconstruction of an industrial and domestic waste landfill, Vyksunsky Metallurgical Plant | 2014 |
| Construction of an integrated pipe and steelmaking plant, Trubodetal, Perm region | 2014 |
| Construction of a cement plant (12 kt of clinker per day), Tula region | 2014 |
| Construction of a mining and concentration plant at the Ametistovoye deposit (Stage 1), Kamchatka Krai | 2015 |
| Construction of a cement plant (5 kt of clinker per day), Rostov region | 2015 |
| Reconstruction of a cement plant (construction of a clay preparation area), HeidelbergCement Rus, Tula region | 2015 |
| Organisational and technical support of public hearings of preliminary EIA materials and licence substantiation materials for storage, recycling and transportation of solid radioactive waste, Kurskaya nuclear power plant | 2014 |
| Organisational and technical support of public hearings of EIA materials and licence substantiation materials for Energy Units 1 and 2, Smolenskaya nuclear power plant | 2015 |
| Organisational and technical support of public hearings of preliminary EIA materials and licence substantiation materials for construction of a radioactive waste recycling complex, Kurskaya nuclear power plant | 2016 |