report of «7x7»
The way of the protest.
Shies nine months later
About who goes to the hottest spot of the anti-waste protest of the Arkhangelsk region and about "people in black"
For nine months now, construction is underway in the middle of the taiga, in the Lenskoy district of the Arkhangelsk region. According to the plans, a modern ekotekhnopark "Shies" should be built there, in fact — a landfill for waste disposal.
Local residents do not want to give their land for landfill; the protest is surging, the conflict with construction workers is escalating, the parties declare provocations, the police initiate criminal and administrative cases.
On March 29 and 30, journalists and bloggers visited Shies during a blog tour organized by the "7x7" online journal and the environmental movement "42", talked with activists and experts and tried to figure out what was actually happening.
On March 29 and 30, journalists and bloggers visited Shies during a blog tour organized by the "7x7" online journal and the environmental movement "42", talked with activists and experts and tried to figure out what was actually happening.
On the front line
It is not easy to get to the train station Shies in Lenskoy district. Passenger trains stop here only on demand — most often to pick up or drop off workers. There are no direct trains to Shies from Arkhangelsk, you can get to the village
of Urdoma — it's 22 hours by train or 10 hours by car, and then another hour by car to Shies.
Morning of March 29. Urdoma
One of the centers of the protest. It is 30 kilometers from here to Shies. The spring sun is already shining with might and main, the road will soon become an unpassable dirty mess even for an all-terrain UAZ, heavy trucks will leave deep
traces here. We are in a hurry to drive on the ground that was frozen during the night.
Our way took a little more than an hour. On the way — taiga, the hills alternate with lowlands, and in the snow near the road — hare traces. On the lowlands, according to locals, underground rivers and streams flow, there are hundreds of them in this territory.
Our way took a little more than an hour. On the way — taiga, the hills alternate with lowlands, and in the snow near the road — hare traces. On the lowlands, according to locals, underground rivers and streams flow, there are hundreds of them in this territory.
Dozens of residents of the Arkhangelsk region and other regions arrive to the station the same road every day. They are traveling with one goal — to protect their home from the possible appearance of a five thousand hectare landfill.
Roadblocks, women and "red button"
After impassability, we turn to the forest and get to the roadblock "Koster", which has been blocking the way to the construction site for several months. It appeared in February 2019, when activists began to watch around the clock, stopping
cars with fuel traveling to the construction site. Members of the watch blocked all the ways to prevent fuel from being brought. For the builders of the landfill, there are two ways left: railway and helicopter. Drainage of fuel from cars
or diesel locomotives is a gross violation of the rules, since there is no deadlock at Shies station, regular passenger trains pass by.
According to activists, the workers came up with different ways to deliver diesel fuel to the construction site: it was transported in passenger cars in five-liter and one-and-liter bottles, on snowmobiles and cars from nearby settlements.
But the equipment is still nor working.
On March 27, the first helicopter with diesel fuel flew to Shies. Oleg, a resident of Urdoma, told "7x7" that the helicopter made three flights that day, brought about three tons of fuel each time. On board there were barrels of 200 liters. The activists did not manage to come close, as the guard cordoned off the helicopter pad. The next day, the same thing happened, the helicopter brought back another 15 barrels of diesel fuel. Some work resumed.
On March 27, the first helicopter with diesel fuel flew to Shies. Oleg, a resident of Urdoma, told "7x7" that the helicopter made three flights that day, brought about three tons of fuel each time. On board there were barrels of 200 liters. The activists did not manage to come close, as the guard cordoned off the helicopter pad. The next day, the same thing happened, the helicopter brought back another 15 barrels of diesel fuel. Some work resumed.
In "Koster" several men of different ages sit behind a large wooden table in an open tent. The table is full of food: biscuits, bread, tea, even honey. At the back of the tent on homemade wooden shelves there are dishes, canned goods, pasta,
cereals. All this is brought by activists and sent by people who can not come on watch, but really want to help. Members of the watch buy water and firewood.
"We have no shortage of food or essential things. People even bring blankets and mattresses to make it easier and warmer to sleep in tents," says a man of about fifty. It is not his first time here, he arrives in his spare time. Activists are on duty in groups of at least eight people (two for each post) for 12 hours. They arrive at 7 am, and the next morning they go home. Who wants and can, may stays longer. Some live on Shies in tents and a trailer for weeks.
"We have no shortage of food or essential things. People even bring blankets and mattresses to make it easier and warmer to sleep in tents," says a man of about fifty. It is not his first time here, he arrives in his spare time. Activists are on duty in groups of at least eight people (two for each post) for 12 hours. They arrive at 7 am, and the next morning they go home. Who wants and can, may stays longer. Some live on Shies in tents and a trailer for weeks.
"After work, young people come every day, they walk around up to 2 or 3 am, they help. Sleep a little — and work again. About 30 people for the whole day. There are two people in the trailer, here are a few more, in other posts. At the weekend
there are a lot of people in general," says Oleg. "I used to spend time with grandchildren, fishing, hunting, housework, datcha. I was doing something all the time. And now I feel responsible for what is happening here. Trying to be useful."
Every day you can meet someone from Arkhangelsk, Kotlas and the nearest settlements, as well as from the neighboring Komi. Oleg comes to Shies often, gets into the car and arrives — especially when the "red button" signals (emergency). After one phone call, even in the middle of the night, up to 60 people come here in a short time. The last time "red button" went off on the night of March 14, when an excavator destroyed the activist's shack, located behind the fence at the construction site, on the road in the direction of the village of Madmas of the Komi Republic. In Madmas, about 30 kilometers from here, there is a post, "for men".
Every day you can meet someone from Arkhangelsk, Kotlas and the nearest settlements, as well as from the neighboring Komi. Oleg comes to Shies often, gets into the car and arrives — especially when the "red button" signals (emergency). After one phone call, even in the middle of the night, up to 60 people come here in a short time. The last time "red button" went off on the night of March 14, when an excavator destroyed the activist's shack, located behind the fence at the construction site, on the road in the direction of the village of Madmas of the Komi Republic. In Madmas, about 30 kilometers from here, there is a post, "for men".
Alexander Chukichev from Yarensk, after his watch in Madmas, came here immediately today. He says:
"There is a little smaller trailer with two beds. And there is also UAZ with plank beds. It is uncomfortable for women to spend the night there."
Alexander Chukichev
Nikolai Pryadein is sitting next to Alexander. He is also from Yarensk. He calmly talks about the rumors surrounding local activists — about the fact that they allegedly get drunk and receive funding from the Lithuanian entrepreneur and
politician Victor Uspasskikh:
Nikolai Pryadein
"Just bored. They can not attack us, so they make rumors, cause our aggression. All these stories are fairy tales and dirty lies. Everyone at once realized that it was a hoax. No one fell for it."
"Okay, now let's go to the station before we're missed," Alexander said.
Women keep watch along with men. There are less women here, but each has its own task — to cook soup, to put a tent in order.
Melt water for herbal tea is already boiling on a fire in a bucket. The bottled water is over, a new one is about to be brought in by those who are taking over the watch from Urdoma. A ten-liter coil of soup, black with soot, cools down nearby. Tatyana — a lively woman of about forty — is in charge today. She washes dishes in a copper basin, carefully putting iron bowls and spoons. She asks not to shoot: "I don't look good today." "Without makeup," men joke. The hostess, meanwhile, is happy to talk about life and the zoning of space:
"Here is an improvised kitchen, there is a toilet, and this is a mirror [a large mirror stands at the edge of the road], so that, sitting at the table, we could see who is coming from the other side."
Tatyana came from Koryazhma for a couple of days, "to defend the motherland".
Women keep watch along with men. There are less women here, but each has its own task — to cook soup, to put a tent in order.
Melt water for herbal tea is already boiling on a fire in a bucket. The bottled water is over, a new one is about to be brought in by those who are taking over the watch from Urdoma. A ten-liter coil of soup, black with soot, cools down nearby. Tatyana — a lively woman of about forty — is in charge today. She washes dishes in a copper basin, carefully putting iron bowls and spoons. She asks not to shoot: "I don't look good today." "Without makeup," men joke. The hostess, meanwhile, is happy to talk about life and the zoning of space:
"Here is an improvised kitchen, there is a toilet, and this is a mirror [a large mirror stands at the edge of the road], so that, sitting at the table, we could see who is coming from the other side."
Tatyana came from Koryazhma for a couple of days, "to defend the motherland".
The place where it all began
A distance to the next post is about a half kilometer along the forest road. It is better to walk at least two by two in case of meeting "people in black" — local employees of the private security company. According to activists, some guards
look more like people from power structures, often come to the activists by the fire at night, suddenly appearing from the forest.
Having walked around the trodden trail of an iron fence with the inscription "Putin, stop the comstruction!", we come to the trailer. This roadblock of activists was the very first. It was installed on a forest-free spot near the railway in order to control the passage of heavy equipment.
Having walked around the trodden trail of an iron fence with the inscription "Putin, stop the comstruction!", we come to the trailer. This roadblock of activists was the very first. It was installed on a forest-free spot near the railway in order to control the passage of heavy equipment.
Here began a round-the-clock Shies watch. Almost every day the builders of the landfill, throwing boards on the rails, made an uncoordinated cross here, which is a gross violation. After numerous complaints by the activists, it stopped,
and without a fuel, the car was standing idle for more than a month on the site.
This roadblock is the most important object of activists. A satellite dish is fixed on the trailer — the Internet for operational communications and a long antenna for transmitting a radio signal over long distances, but it has not yet been adjusted. Only the radio on the spot works. Through this roadblock, the guard on duty contact Urdoma. The mobile network on Shies is available only on the station territory — you can catch a signal if you climb onto a bulk pile of soil.
This roadblock is the most important object of activists. A satellite dish is fixed on the trailer — the Internet for operational communications and a long antenna for transmitting a radio signal over long distances, but it has not yet been adjusted. Only the radio on the spot works. Through this roadblock, the guard on duty contact Urdoma. The mobile network on Shies is available only on the station territory — you can catch a signal if you climb onto a bulk pile of soil.
In the trailer there are two women. Stoke the stove, drink tea. Both from Yarensk. They explain: they could not help but come. Tomorrow morning they will be replaced by new watchers. So far, everything is calm at the post, and at the railway
station, which is about a kilometer away, there is another violation: in the morning, workers unload cars with concrete slabs directly above the railway tracks, by which passenger trains pass from time to time. Participants of the blog
tour rush there to catch the violation.
"The war of activists with guards"
Shies is a junction railway station. Around there are mountains of snow-covered ground, with a panorama of the entire construction site surrounded by a metal fence. Now Moscow State Budgetary Institution "Automobile Roads" works there, which
received a contract from "Tekhnopark". According to the documents, a loading and unloading cluster will soon appear on this site. According to the representative of "Tekhnopark" Denis Sinelnikov, who regularly represents the company in
court, the construction of the ekotekhnopark "Shies" is not the case here, but the site is needed. Unloading and loading at the station is prohibited, as it is not intended for such work.
An activist and member of the Save Pechora Committee, Ivan Ivanov, has already written a complaint about unlawful unloading of the concrete slabs — it is dangerous for passing passenger trains. But the work continues. The territory around is guarded by more than a dozen employees of the private security company "Garant bezopasnosti". Activists and journalists can not come close. It is hard to go through: about a dozen of guards stand in the way of the blog tour group. After a few minutes of verbal arguments, demanding to let journalists in, the whole group enters the territory of the future landfill.
Next to the helipad there is a hostel for workers, a hangar where fuel, equipment and building materials are stored. About two dozen security guards join us, they interfere with inspecting the territory: lined up with a chain, refuse to show their certificates of identity.
Ivan Ivanov sees in their actions a violation of the law:
"It is a passenger station. The territory is not fenced with a solid fence, all attempts to restrict movement are illegal. In their ["Garant bezopasnosti"] contract it is indicated that they cannot prevent the local residents from going out, picking berries, mushrooms, hunting or fishing.
Ivan Ivanov
According to Ivanov, the police reacted poorly to the statements of activists. But there are changes: previously the guard stood at the tents, which violated the residents' right to privacy. The guards removed the posts close to the tents,
but they still do not show the documents.
"At night, they come to campfires. There are several groups: ordinary guards and 30 people, trained to disperse citizens. They have special means, batons, they do not show any documents, they say that they just walk here, but in fact they provoke aggression: they push, beat phones out of the hands."
These words are confirmed by other activists. A member of the initiative group, Rimma Shepetyuk, said that her hand were repeatedly beaten while she was trying to shoot on the phone. The last time the phone crashed.
"At night, they come to campfires. There are several groups: ordinary guards and 30 people, trained to disperse citizens. They have special means, batons, they do not show any documents, they say that they just walk here, but in fact they provoke aggression: they push, beat phones out of the hands."
These words are confirmed by other activists. A member of the initiative group, Rimma Shepetyuk, said that her hand were repeatedly beaten while she was trying to shoot on the phone. The last time the phone crashed.
On the other side of the barricades
The correspondent of "7x7" managed to talk to a man who called himself the head of the security, he showed his identification certificate with the seal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but asked not to write his name. According to him, the work of the guards is not related to construction, their goal is to not allow to burn the equipment on the territory, so that the workers do not suffer. They simply fulfil the terms of the contract.
"Documents for security activities, which are often required by activists, according to the Federal Law, I have the right to show by order of the prosecutor's office, the police, the Rosgvardia. We are checked 150 times a day. Be sure," the man declared. "Now there is a war of activists with guards. Security guards come and say that they are not ready to work here for such money, they leave and do not return. I believe that they crossed the line [about the events on the night of March 15, when the excavator destroyed the shack, and the police opened a criminal case on the fact of beating the excavator driver]. People should not beat each other. I wouldn't use force in their place, I wouldn't beat a person to such a degree that he had to be taken by helicopter. For several hours he was bound by a plastic yoke. Of course, he was not tied to a tree — these is the Internet hoax. If there are no prosecutors in Arkhangelsk, if the authorities do not listen, go to Moscow and ask questions there. The fussing is only at the local level, you travel a hundred kilometers away — and no one heard about Shies. Invite reporters here, it is possible. Let people come here and cover everything that happens.
Monologues by the fire
A little further from the hangar and the helipad, behind the large sandy embankment there is a "Leningrad" — a large tent, another post of activists on Shies. It was brought from St. Petersburg, bought for money of an unknown benefactor. This post is always crowded. In the tent you can sleep, dry your shoes at a small stove, dinner is cooked by the fire.
Conditions do not frighten anyone. Most of those on duty are local hunters and fishermen who got used to hiking conditions. The activists do not have time for a long acquaintance. Come, introduce themselves, name the city. And nothing else is needed — everyone is brought together and united by the common cause.
Tatyana, Arkhangelsk
It is my third day here, I arrived with my husband. The son was here two weeks ago, and we decided to come. We were so scared when the shack was turned around... The boy almost got injured, I saw him jump out from under the tracks
of this excavator. I was overstrained at that moment. And what would I tell him? "Don't go"? It was me who raised him like that. He was the first of us to visit. We came too. There is no other way. This is our human position. It
only seems that Shies is far away, but if all the dirt flows from here...
I learned about the whole situation from the Internet, from groups, and the son collects information. I saw it once, twice, and the rallies are held, how can you not find out about it? I also joined rallies.
The first day was very hard. The weather was bad. While examining everything, I had to walk a lot. Of course, I was tired. But the sun comes out — and it becomes better. I am just a drop and little depends on me here. And if someone leaves the tents on duty, they will leave everything unattended? The guard at night come to us in 15-20 minutes. And if they see that there are few people, they are even closer. They also say that at first they [guards] were very insulting, especially towards women. But after the claims they have become more tactful.
I think that I will come here again. I dream that nothing is built here. Neither here nor anywhere else. I am ashamed for the power.
I learned about the whole situation from the Internet, from groups, and the son collects information. I saw it once, twice, and the rallies are held, how can you not find out about it? I also joined rallies.
The first day was very hard. The weather was bad. While examining everything, I had to walk a lot. Of course, I was tired. But the sun comes out — and it becomes better. I am just a drop and little depends on me here. And if someone leaves the tents on duty, they will leave everything unattended? The guard at night come to us in 15-20 minutes. And if they see that there are few people, they are even closer. They also say that at first they [guards] were very insulting, especially towards women. But after the claims they have become more tactful.
I think that I will come here again. I dream that nothing is built here. Neither here nor anywhere else. I am ashamed for the power.
Vladimir Basarev, Urdoma
I am 30. It is not my first time here, but it is the first night watch, I have a vacation now. The first time I came here, I remember, it was February. I had to come, to change people, so that they could rest. At home — a wife, children,
mother, mortgage, and they are building a dump under my nose! That makes me come. I take people with me. They say to me: "Come on, Vovan, everything is bought there" — "Have you been there? No? Let's go". And people agree.
The guards here are all sure that we are paid. But they are not always like that. When two people talk, you can learn a lot. The guard receives three thousand a day, working by watches for 30 days for 12 hours — from 1:30 pm till 1:30 am. Every 30 minutes they have a break. People are different. There was a man from Udmurtia, he said: "Honestly, I would not go here anymore." Many, when they leave, say: "I will not come here anymore." They were told that everything is good here, the recycling plant will be built, that they are needed just to protect the objects. And for the first two weeks they run furiously, and then they hold their backs. It's hard.
We will not let them build anything. I like our region, I like our land, the river. I want to stay here.
The guards here are all sure that we are paid. But they are not always like that. When two people talk, you can learn a lot. The guard receives three thousand a day, working by watches for 30 days for 12 hours — from 1:30 pm till 1:30 am. Every 30 minutes they have a break. People are different. There was a man from Udmurtia, he said: "Honestly, I would not go here anymore." Many, when they leave, say: "I will not come here anymore." They were told that everything is good here, the recycling plant will be built, that they are needed just to protect the objects. And for the first two weeks they run furiously, and then they hold their backs. It's hard.
We will not let them build anything. I like our region, I like our land, the river. I want to stay here.
Alexander Listov, Arkhangelsk
I am a pensioner from Arkhangelsk. I have a lot to do, I have never sat on the couch, but at one point I just left everything: repairs in the room, garage is unfinished, car on the lift. I went here because I need it. And the wife
said: "Go!" Arrived by train, went straight to the station. I honestly went here to war and was ready for everything: even to die. Then the guys told me: "Come on, calm down, there are civilized ways."
For me, the watch gave a lot. I can not even explain. I'll think about it later, in a relaxed atmosphere. Here, as a pendulum, the victory will swing from us at some stages, then vice versa. Stopping vehicles due to lack of fuel is still a major victory. For them, these are very heavy fines and losses (idle of wagons with plates on the tracks cost money). On the occasion of the final victory, we are planning to have a picnic for all activists here.
For me, the watch gave a lot. I can not even explain. I'll think about it later, in a relaxed atmosphere. Here, as a pendulum, the victory will swing from us at some stages, then vice versa. Stopping vehicles due to lack of fuel is still a major victory. For them, these are very heavy fines and losses (idle of wagons with plates on the tracks cost money). On the occasion of the final victory, we are planning to have a picnic for all activists here.
Expert opinion
During the blog tour, together with journalists, the area, in the future intended for the landfill, was examined by experts from "Sweco", an independent Swedish commercial architectural and technical consulting company. They were invited
to evaluate the technologies for the construction and operation of the ekotekhnopark "Shies" is planned, and to tell the local residents, activists of environmental movements and journalists how waste management is organized in Sweden.
Since January 1, 2019, a new law regulating waste management came into force in Russia. Federal Law No. 89 "On Production and Consumption of Waste" changed the structure of waste management, determined the responsibility of the manufacturer
of goods for the organization of packaging processing and the scope of work of the regional operator. Legal and illegal landfills began to close throughout the country. According to "Sweco" expert Ingrid Håstad, the closure of a large
number of landfills in combination with existing continuously filled landfills led to problems with garbage in large cities. Today, the culture of separate waste collection in Russia is low and cannot solve the problem of reducing waste.
Insufficiently developed recycling, incineration and other methods of disposal of garbage. According to Ingrid, Sweden has built its waste management system for about 50 years. According to the expert, the best option for Russia is to
start producing less waste now or to make sure that it is at least collected and transported to one place. If the landfill is the only possible solution, then you just need to approach its construction responsibly.
Shies is a wetland, there is a high level of groundwater, so the design and construction of the landfill is a serious problem.
Shies is a wetland, there is a high level of groundwater, so the design and construction of the landfill is a serious problem.
Ingrid Håstad
"When you are looking for a place to build a landfill, you should try to find the optimal place. I know that in Russia there are many polygons, which are also built at swamps. In this case, first of all, you need to make a good bottom layer,
which will be a barrier between the waste and the soil. You have to organize the collection of water and waste, which can further pollute the environment," says Ingrid. "Rain, snow, groundwater must be separated from the garbage. Otherwise,
the water will get into a landfill and will be polluted."
According to the assessment of Swedish experts, the plan of the future landfill as a whole looks normal. But during the blog tour they could not get acquainted with the technology and a detailed plan, a description of the project.
"Of course, taking out waste so far just to make a landfill is not the best idea for the environment, and it is very expensive. Transportation of waste to the place where you have a plant for processing or incineration, can still be justified," says Ingrid. "In Sweden, there are still functioning landfills, but there are no mixed waste, which will be brought to Shies. Sweden landfills are used exclusively for wastes such as asbestos and other construction waste that cannot be recycled. Garbage is sorted where it appears. Some goes for recycling, some for incineration. We are good at this."
Incineration, according to Ingrid, is better than landfills. By disposing of the waste in this way, it is possible to reduce the volume, remove organic garbage, as it is converted into energy, which can be used to heat entire areas. Disadvantage of burning is the formation of harmful ash. Sweden takes it to landfills in neighboring Norway.
Polygons for organic waste are prohibited, as methane appears during the decomposition of organic waste. If it is not collected and burned for additional thermal energy, it is a threat to the environment, because it affects the climate more than carbon dioxide. For organic garbage, except for incineration, there is anaerobic processing — the decomposition of organic substances without oxygen. With this method, you can get fertilizer and biogas, which is also used as fuel. If you use the anaerobic method, then you should do it where the garbage is collected. Subsequently, it is difficult to sort, and the quality deteriorates. All dangerous garbage (batteries or lamps) is always collected separately.
"Of course, taking out waste so far just to make a landfill is not the best idea for the environment, and it is very expensive. Transportation of waste to the place where you have a plant for processing or incineration, can still be justified," says Ingrid. "In Sweden, there are still functioning landfills, but there are no mixed waste, which will be brought to Shies. Sweden landfills are used exclusively for wastes such as asbestos and other construction waste that cannot be recycled. Garbage is sorted where it appears. Some goes for recycling, some for incineration. We are good at this."
Incineration, according to Ingrid, is better than landfills. By disposing of the waste in this way, it is possible to reduce the volume, remove organic garbage, as it is converted into energy, which can be used to heat entire areas. Disadvantage of burning is the formation of harmful ash. Sweden takes it to landfills in neighboring Norway.
Polygons for organic waste are prohibited, as methane appears during the decomposition of organic waste. If it is not collected and burned for additional thermal energy, it is a threat to the environment, because it affects the climate more than carbon dioxide. For organic garbage, except for incineration, there is anaerobic processing — the decomposition of organic substances without oxygen. With this method, you can get fertilizer and biogas, which is also used as fuel. If you use the anaerobic method, then you should do it where the garbage is collected. Subsequently, it is difficult to sort, and the quality deteriorates. All dangerous garbage (batteries or lamps) is always collected separately.
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On Shies, they plan to bring in waste in special bales. Ingrid spoke about this technology.It is practiced in Sweden, but garbage pressed in bales is stored for a maximum of several months, for example, on the island of Gotland. This usually
happens in summer, when energy for heating from waste incineration is not required. Waste in bales accumulates on the island and is stored in special covered hangars, and then transported to the mainland. It is not profitable to keep waste
in such a form for a long time.
"You can do anything with waste. It's just a matter of price and whoever gives money for it," says Ingrid.
In Sweden, the responsibility for recycling solid waste rests with the manufacturer. The cost of goods in the package already include a percentage for its further processing. People pay separately for processing about 100–200 euros per year from one household. The municipalities themselves collect, transport a solid household waste. Liquid waste, such as sewage, is sent to water treatment plants, the price is included in the water bills. When water undergoes a cleaning procedure, it does not get perfectly clean, but this is enough to not harm the environment.
After a visit to Shies, "Sweco" experts concluded that the landfill on Shies is possible if several conditions are met: a sufficient bottom layer, leachate drainage and landfill gas collection and treatment system, covering of the waste. Then you can safely store waste. According to experts, construction work requires control of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources.
"Sweco was not able to carry out a thorough site visit due to restricted access to the construction site. Sweco's impression is that the construction company, and other organisations involved in the process, may be carrying out the works in a non-transparent manner and that the information shared with the local residents and other stakeholders appears to be minimal," the experts wrote in the conclusions of the blog tour.
"You can do anything with waste. It's just a matter of price and whoever gives money for it," says Ingrid.
In Sweden, the responsibility for recycling solid waste rests with the manufacturer. The cost of goods in the package already include a percentage for its further processing. People pay separately for processing about 100–200 euros per year from one household. The municipalities themselves collect, transport a solid household waste. Liquid waste, such as sewage, is sent to water treatment plants, the price is included in the water bills. When water undergoes a cleaning procedure, it does not get perfectly clean, but this is enough to not harm the environment.
After a visit to Shies, "Sweco" experts concluded that the landfill on Shies is possible if several conditions are met: a sufficient bottom layer, leachate drainage and landfill gas collection and treatment system, covering of the waste. Then you can safely store waste. According to experts, construction work requires control of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources.
"Sweco was not able to carry out a thorough site visit due to restricted access to the construction site. Sweco's impression is that the construction company, and other organisations involved in the process, may be carrying out the works in a non-transparent manner and that the information shared with the local residents and other stakeholders appears to be minimal," the experts wrote in the conclusions of the blog tour.
Late evening of March 30, Shies
The day "tour" to the construction site did not give answers to most of the questions asked by the participants of the blog tour about what is actually happening in Shies. The group returned to check the words of activists about the behavior of guards at night.
Mikhail from Syktyvkar came to support the activists for a few hours — today they intend to show the guards that they no longer want to endure the pressure and violations from their side. At night, he will go back, and now with a bandana on his head looks more like Rambo. Gathering journalists around him, he says:
"An activist should be with a halo on his head: sober, correct in communication, should not violate the laws.
Having unbuttoned his hiking backpack, Mikhail pulls out a white sheet of paper. On the back side there is a poster: "Do not panic! Organize!" There are many small fish on it, shaping a big fish, scare the other fish.
"Here, ordinary people stand for their land," Mikhail continues. His ultimate goal here is "to come after the victory, give the awards "For the Defense of Shies" and sing songs". A few minutes later about 30 people moved to the station.
At the tents — the post of activists behind the station — another group joins them. For a few more minutes, activists continue to approach, gathering in a crowd.
Mikhail from Syktyvkar came to support the activists for a few hours — today they intend to show the guards that they no longer want to endure the pressure and violations from their side. At night, he will go back, and now with a bandana on his head looks more like Rambo. Gathering journalists around him, he says:
"An activist should be with a halo on his head: sober, correct in communication, should not violate the laws.
Having unbuttoned his hiking backpack, Mikhail pulls out a white sheet of paper. On the back side there is a poster: "Do not panic! Organize!" There are many small fish on it, shaping a big fish, scare the other fish.
"Here, ordinary people stand for their land," Mikhail continues. His ultimate goal here is "to come after the victory, give the awards "For the Defense of Shies" and sing songs". A few minutes later about 30 people moved to the station.
At the tents — the post of activists behind the station — another group joins them. For a few more minutes, activists continue to approach, gathering in a crowd.
Since March 29, when participants of the blog tour were not allowed into the helipad, the number of guards has approximately doubled. About a hundred opponents of the construction of the landfill still broke through their chain and together
with the journalists went to the hostel. Employees of the private security company "Garant bezopasnosti" interfered with them, forbade to shoot video, swore, some of them were drunk. If someone was convicted of intoxication, colleagues
immediately hid them deeper into their distant ranks. The journalists wanted to enter the hostel to see how the life of the workers was arranged. They were not allowed. Three police officers who arrived on the scene refused to record all
offenses. At the request of at least obliging the guards to show their certificates, one of the police officers replied that they already had all the documents checked and we should not worry.
At this time, from all sides of the aggrieved and heated crowd of activists was heard: "Leave, you are not welcome here!", "Look at what you are guarding", "You are being deceived", "Think it over!". Women shouted, activists demanded, the majority just silently watched from the side, giving mass character to "a party", as activists called it).
The next day, activists reported that they are no longer impeded to walk throughout the construction site.
At this time, from all sides of the aggrieved and heated crowd of activists was heard: "Leave, you are not welcome here!", "Look at what you are guarding", "You are being deceived", "Think it over!". Women shouted, activists demanded, the majority just silently watched from the side, giving mass character to "a party", as activists called it).
The next day, activists reported that they are no longer impeded to walk throughout the construction site.
Producer Maria Muskevich and director Konstantin Davydkin shot a documentary about the struggle of residents of different regions of Russia for a favorable environment. Watch the documentary film on eco-protests "Grass Roots" on "7x7".
