The environmentalist group Greenpeace Russia went to the Russian Supreme Court Monday for the first hearing in the group’s claim to invalidate the federal development program for the city of Sochi. Sochi is bidding to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Greenpeace Russia says the program has been adopted without an ecological examination and bears no legal force.
Experts at Greenpeace reportedly believe that development in Sochi, which is bidding to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, violates environmental law. The federal city development program was adopted last June without the compulsory state environmental examination. By October when the plan was finally examined for ecological issues, construction sites had already sprawled, said Greenpeace.
The group is protesting development in the Sochi National Park saying that the “would-be” ski resort and railway road will damage the environment irreparably.
Ahead of the visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation committee to Sochi WWF’s Moscow director Igor Chestin sent a letter to Russia’s President warning that the development program has the sole aim of profit making. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov then set up a working group, and an environmental examination in the area will be held within two months.
But Greenpeace is calling the initiative “just another committee” that will not solve the problem but say a court ruling will be the solid ground for a repeat examination and will put a halt to the program.
The next court session is scheduled for March 15.