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Bellona-Hauge: Foreign Ministry should take over pollution talks

Frederic Hauge has followed the environmental developments in Russia for more than 20 years.

High-profiled environmentalist Frederic Hauge says Ministry of Environment has failed in its 20-year long talks with Russia on reducing the pollution from the Nikel-plant.

Location

- The Norwegian Ministry of Environment has proven to everybody that they are not capable of getting results, says Frederic Hauge to BarentsObserver.

Read alsoBellona: Norilsk-Nickel lacks environmental transparency

The first talks between Norway and the Soviet Union on the needs to reduce emission from the smelter in Nikel started in 1990. It was then Norway’s Prime Minister Jan P. Syse that got the issue on the top agenda in Moscow.

The year after, in 1991, the negotiations were transferred to the Ministry of Environment. Since then, no technological improvements have come.

- In my opinion, the Ministry of Environment, have got no results here, says Bellona’s Frederic Hauge. He hopes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can take over discussions with the Russia regarding the Nikel-pollution.

Frederic Hauge and Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met in the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes last week.

- I can assure you that we will keep a high pressure on our Russian counterparts in the Nikel-case, said Jonas Gahr Støre.

Read moreNikel-pollution on Medvedev’s agenda

- The pollution from Nikel is unacceptable, and I will bring up the case with Russian officials on the levels where it belongs, Støre said.

The smelter in Nikel is located some few kilometres from the border to Norway in the north. The emission of SO2 and heavy metals are considered to be one of the biggest environmental problems in Norway.