For the Khanty, oil extraction means wrecking the environment: heavy vehicles destroying land, which is long and difficult to recover in the Arctic, probable oil spills poisoning water and plants with no place left for reindeer feeding or
wild herb gathering. Many realize it, but few dare to oppose.
After the "secret" hearings, some aborigines wrote a letter to the District Administration and Prosecutor's Office asserting that the hearings were unlawful and
requesting to repeal the results and hold new hearings in Numto. They also requested to disregard the opinion of Vypla and Pyak families who "decide for the aborigines" in the matters related to the Park oil development. Such requests
not met, the requesters promised to apply to President Putin and "federal services". They explained the anonymity by a risk of retaliation from the Administration.
The Prosecutor's Office told
7х7 that they had initiated a checkup based on the request and outcomes are expected in a month's time.
Greenpeace Russia closely monitored the situation with the Park, however could not attend the hearings. On February 11, Greenpeace
forwarded to the Beloyarsk District Administration and Surgutneftegas its opinion regarding the prospecting wells in Vatlorskoye license block describing why the hearings were unlawful and should be recognised invalid.
According
to environmental experts, environmental impact assessment reports have not been published in the Internet meaning that stakeholders, including Greenpeace, had no chance to read them, having no delegates in Yugra. The subsoil user deemed
Greenpeace's comments unreasonable noting that all the materials were made available on the website of local government bodies of the Beloyarsky District and the Ecology section of Surgutneftegas's website (Information to the public).
Greenpeace representatives assert that the project documentation appeared on Surgutneftegas's website just recently, while the notice of public hearings coded 14487, on the contrary, has disappeared.
Aleksey Artemenko, Surgutneftegas
spokesman, told
7х7 that currently cooperation with Numto people is going smoothly: everyone is content and the company is always open for a dialogue in case of any problems. Mr. Artemenko repeated
every word said to
7х7 reporter by the District Administration officials: the company provides the Khanty with fuel and timber, builds new houses every year, solves cell phone communication problems
and builds churches.
The company's spokesman believes that the situation around Numto is purposely escalated by someone who pursues his own interest. However, he refused to go into detail.