Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

28 Pitfalls and Pipelines: Indigenous Peoples and Extractive Industries
the first to learn smith craft and are famous for their blacksmiths. Today,
they are a classic example of people suffering from the “resource curse” of
modern civilization.
The Coal Industry
The history of the coal industry in Kemerovo Oblast dates back several
hundred years; the first coal deposit was discovered close to the town
of Kemerovo as early as 1721. The manufacturer Demidov, from the
Urals, was the first to show an interest in producing Kuznetsky coal; by
the late 1700s, he had already founded several smelting plants there.
Coal and smelting enterprises began to emerge in the early 1900s. The
establishment of a coal and smelting industrial cluster was dramatically
accelerated prior to World War II within the framework of the Siberian
Industrial Base Reserve, deep in the country far from the western border.
Kemerovo Oblast was established in 1943 to develop the Kuzbas
Industrial Cluster. Since then, the industrial basis of Kuzbas has been
constantly developing. A slight decline occurred immediately following the
break-up of the Soviet Union, with the production crisis and the closure
of the coal mines. Since 2000, however, the industries have recovered,
especially the coal industry.
The Environmental Situation
The environmental situation in Kemerovo Oblast is bleak according to all
experts (including the government’s supervisory authorities). The region is
explicitly aimed at raw material production. Heavy industry is at the core of
the regional economy and it is the main factor that has a negative impact
on the environment. According to an evaluation of the Russian Federation
Ministry of Natural Resources, the town of Novokuznetsk is among the
most polluted in the country.
The report entitled “The Status of the Environment in Kemerovo Oblast
in 2011,” drafted by the Regional Administration, says that the average
atmospheric concentration of specific pollutants in Kemerovo Oblast is 2-3
times the maximum allowable concentrations stipulated by Russian law
and, in some cases, up to 18 times. The same report describes river water
in areas of industrial activity as “polluted” or “heavily polluted.” In some
cases, the experts speak of “extremely heavy pollution” of the water. 64
Kemerovo Oblast features all the main components of extractive industries
that are likely to have a negative impact: large-scale industrial production,