S5-13 Ecological and social problems of the ESPO pipeline system in Yakutia D.D. Nogovitsyn, N.A. Nikolaeva, Z.M. Sheina, L.P., Sergeeva

Abstract: Most specific natural conditions, Besides the oil pipeline will pass through the which can lead to environmental problems territory of compact inhabitancy of along the Pipeline ESPO in Yakutia, are indigenous population of the South Yakutia analyzed in the paper. Amongst them are – evenks, including places of their original climatic, hydrological, cryogenic and householding – reindeer production. In this hydrogeological conditions, providing connection valuation of both ecological and potential risk of occurrence of dangerous natural phenomena, like seismic activity, ice social influence of constructing and dam formation, karst formation, as well as exploitation of ways on natural habitat of different exogenous geologic and cryogenic local people has highly important ecological processes. Issues of feasible negative impact and social meaning. of oil spills on the environment are The region of right-of-way of the pipeline is considered. Level of stability of natural characterized by sharply continental climate. complexes of the area to man’s impact is assessed. Absolute minimal temperature achieves - 60°C (), -59°C (Olekminsk), - 51°C In addition, problems of socioeconomic (Aldan), - 61°C () and absolute influence of the ESPO on accommodation of maximum - +36°C (Lensk, Olekminsk). In the native population are considered. winter territory of the way is under influence Keywords: Natural and social conditions, of cold and dry air mass of powerful petroleum product, impact. Siberian anticyclone. Winter is long, with Intended to transporting oil of Siberian little snow and very cold. Summer is quite deposits to prospective market of the Asian- short but warm. Pacific region the Pipeline system “Eastern Quantity of precipitations on the way of oil Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline” is one pipeline ranges from 546 mm (Aldan) to 264 of the largest investment energetic projects mm (Olekminsk), therefrom rain which is being realized in the territory of precipitations are 55-70%. Yakutia according to “the Scheme of development of productive power, transport The territory of the right-of-way of oil and energetic of RS (Y) by the year 2020”. pipeline is distinguished by dominance of no-wind weather. Average annual wind In the Republic of (Yakutia) the right- speed is relatively not fast: in Lensk – 3,1 of-way of pipeline will pass through the m/s; in Olekminsk – 2,1 m/; in Aldan – 2,9 territories of the South-West and the South m/s, in Chulman – 1,3 m/s. Yakutia within four regions. The sources of oil ingress are deposits of the West Siberia, One of the characteristic features of the way the region and also Yakut deposits as of pipeline is sudden alteration of Talakanskoe and Verkhnechonskoe deposits. temperature formation in the Siberian Besides more than 30 million ton of oil it is anticyclone conditions due to cavities of the planned to recover by 2015 from these Baikal type and deeply cut in river valleys: deposits. air temperature in foundation pits decreases until - 60°C at small-scale (20 cm.) Natural conditions of the territory where the snowpack and no-wind weather. At sudden way of the ESPO passes are characterized alteration air temperature increases as by inhomogenous natural and climatic absolute magnitude increases. conditions, difficult geotechnical, geocryological and seismic conditions. 1 S5-13

Multi-year frozen solids of uniform and change of streambed direction and its water- noncontinuous spread are other natural way, expansion of streambed because of its specialties. This causes wide spread of branching into channels and narrowing its various cryogenic geological processes main streambed and existence of islands, which complicate conditions of oil pipeline shoals and sandbanks. The pipeline passes exploitation (thermokarst saggings, rock through the river, 6 km. higher glaciers, solifluctions, blow-ups, cavings, Solyanka , 5 km. lower cavity of the etc.). river Olekma, in segment of frequent ice- jam formation. Thus according to Hydrographic net in the researched territory information from the station of Solyanka in shows quite a branched system of rivers, the period of hydrologic observations from creeks and lakes. According to data of 1937-1990 at this place there were 15 ice- “Transneft” JSC the way of oil pipeline jams. crosses 248 water objects of the Lena river within the territory of the Republic of Sakha The process of aufeis formation on the (Yakutia): 65 in the Lensk region, 73 –in the Aldan highlands are everywhere. The map Olekminsk region, 71 – in the Aldan region, of V.R. Alexeev consists of 1000 aufeises. 39 – in the region. The majority Also the territory of the way of pipeline of the crossed rivers relates to minor rivers relates to avalanche-prone. and creeks. Large rivers which cross the way In addition, the pipeline from the oil of oil pipeline are: the , the Nyuya, pumping station (OPS) No 10, located at the Lena, the Tuolba, the Amga, the Aldan, 1092 km. in the upper river Nyuaya to the the Bolshoy Nemnyr, the Khatymi, the station located at 2091 km., passes to the Chulman and the Timpton. territory of the strong karst appearing. Thus, The main feature of water schedule of according to observations on the river touched upon rivers is powerful spring Biryuk, located in Kileer region, intersecting floods, which are reasoned by fast snow with the pipeline, minimum flow rate is 0.15 melting on water accumulation and ice-jam. l / sec. square. km. and on the map adjusted Sometimes summer floods heighten the for the small drains - 0,50., i.e. loss of flow levels of spring floods, but they are more in fractures and karst formations. In case of gradual. spillage of petroleum products to the places where karst appears, they can penetrate into Ice covering achieves 2,5 meters on the the underground horizons being cause of Lena river in spite of meaningless width of pollution of groundwater, sources of snow. Minor and even middle rivers freeze drinking-water supply of settlements in the annually. Rivers with meandering South Yakutia. streambeds and expected annual damages of banks at the transferring through water Despite the fact that during the construction boards are dangerous. and operation of oil pipelines the full range of measures to prevent accidents and oil Specific features of the territories of the spills are taken into account. But anyway South Yakutia are risky for technogenetic they sometimes happen, causing serious constructions. The most meaningful of them environmental damage. are seismic activity, karstification, aufeis formation and ice-jamming. Normative period of service of oil pipelines is 33 years, but in fact some of them are The most dangerous factors of the region exploited for 50 years. During this period influencing on safe exploitation of pipeline conditions of exploitation may change, such are earthquakes, which happen at spring as development of soil erosion under the floods and sometimes are reasons of structure, changes in oil properties, necessity catastrophic floods. for temporary conservation or shutting down Ice-jams appear on reaches of river the oil pipeline, that is why pipelines characterized by decrease of grades, nipping damage and must be repaired. 2 S5-13

Analysis of information according to contaminants such as heavy metals and accidents of existing pipelines showed that pesticides. When oil is distributed over large the main reasons are the following more area, the probability of different reactions is common technical and natural factors: increased as well as substances which are internal and external corrosion, weld soluble in oil, have opportunity to defects, damage of the pipeline by soil, frost participate in a variety of chemical heave, as well as the "human factor", i.e. processes. negligence and poor quality of the staff Petroleum and petroleum products are work. among the oxidation-prone substances by Significant role in the exploitation of oil microorganisms, so self-cleaning water pipelines are natural characteristics of the contaminated with oil, is long enough. In region: permafrost, climatic and Yakutia these processes are compounded by hydrogeological conditions, hydrologic cold climate. water regime, specialties of technology and Because of the geotechnical system pipeline construction in the conditions of the "pipeline-environment" is a system where North. In addition natural factors may the interaction of technical facilities and initiate essential risks, which appeal to natural systems, not only pipeline impact on significant damages, such as floods and high natural environment, but natural floods, reasoning accidental and emergency environment has much influence on it. situations; erosion, river bed slope processes that cause the destruction of infrastructure Activation of exogenous geological and elements, linear structures; thermokarst cryogenic processes at construction and processes, subsidence, and failures, the operation, as well as changes in the deformation of foundations and bases, temperature regime of soils under the provoked by the accelerated erosion and influence of ESPO pipeline way complicate solifluction, threatening polygonal objects. the operation, which could have a significant impact on land degradation and safety of Petroleum products have a negative impact technical installations. The width of zone of on water ecosystems: concentration of influence of construction works depends on petroleum products 0,01 mg per 1 liter of type of exogenous geological processes and fresh water is enough for dying of most of varies from 300-500 m. to 1-2 km. and freshwater fish. Water pollution by oil and more. oil products causes damages for nature which in excess of other types of Aufeis formation. Processes of aufeis hydrochemical impact forming a membrane, formation are significant for pipeline which reduces access of oxygen to the water construction. According to degree of aufeis surface by 60%. formation Chulman highlands allocates of all landscape provinces. It belongs to the Sources and mechanisms of accumulation of category of ice mound with a coefficient of oil pollutants in sediments are different. The relative development from 0,1 to 1%. Ice depth of penetration of petroleum dams are formed almost in the majority of hydrocarbons into sediments varied and valleys of local watercourses in the form of depends on structural composition of soil, small-area entities, dedicated primarily to oil pollutants and sediments, salinity their floodplain and channel parts. Slope hydrometeorological processes, frost is usually confined to places of kinks geomorphology and other factors. relief, boundaries of the frozen and melted Biochemical dissolution of the bulk of rocks on the slopes. Their size is typically spilled oil is slow, as there is a certain type less than 0.01 km and the thickness of ice - of microorganisms that can decompose all 1-1,5 m. the components of oil in nature. Rock glacier buildup. Rock glaciers are One of the characteristics of oil pollution is large formations and occupy large areas of ability to capture and concentrate other 3 S5-13 slopes. Width of the area occupied by rock influence of leading cryogenic glaciers is determined by length of slopes characteristics on reduction of stability of and is at least 500 meters on both sides of landscape and valuation of stability of the way. landscape and ecological systems to anthropogenic impacts - using was made. Thermokarst. Degradation of ice rich permafrost, resulting to activity of Bioclimatic data (biologic productivity, thermokarst starts in the zone of permanent conditions of phytomass reserves, and temporary land allocation for moisturizing and thermo supplying construction of the pipeline with width of conditions) were taken from work. All 25-100 m. landscape provinces were ranged according to meanings attached to every Blow up. When territories are explored subcompartment of estimating balls. The economically violations of individual balls characterize degree of influence of components of environment lead to definite factors on stability decreasing. temperature changes and moisture regimes Integral influence of all components was of soils and thus to the swelling of icy- estimated by total sum of balls. grained soil and deformations of linear constructions (pipelines). Their width is As a result the following distribution of limited by width of permanent and landscape provinces of researched area temporary right of way of main pipeline and according to degree of their resistance to the accompanying technological objects (25- anthropogenic impacts. 100 m.). Main landscape building up factors Erosive and thermoerosive processes. While generally determine the latitude and zonal constructing in the areas of active distribution of landscape provinces of plains development of erosion processes various of researched area ways, complicated by erosive forms like scours, furrows, ditches high-zone in the mountainous part. It defines and gullies form. Violations band is the following distribution of natural systems determined by natural and man-made to their degree of resistance to human conditions and it enters the corridor with impact. width up to 100 meters on both sides of axis Middle taiga landscapes characterized for of the pipeline. regions of Talakan – Olekminsk and Karst and suffosion, thermosuffosion Olekminsk – Aldan, are differentiated on processes. Within massifs of Cambrian landscapes with low and moderate degree of rocks, karst forms appear in the form of stability, depending on the nature of the craters, subsidence, accompanied by the distribution of permafrost - from continuous disappearance of water flows to the strike as to intermittent and insular, as well as along the row and in the transverse features of continental climate changes. direction. At places of active karst the width According to bioclimatic indices of middle of corridor is determined depending on taiga landscapes of Middle Viluyskaya activity of the process and is 200-300 m. hollow-ridges province, Nyuya-Olekma and Spread of cryogenic process is applied to Olekma-Aldan ridgy provinces are quite map of permafrost landscapes in the territory stable and Prilensk ridges province - stable, where pipeline passes to imagine as it is characterized by high productivity distributing of landscape and geocryogenic and phytomass. Other three provinces have violations. lower indices. Conditions of thermo and moisture supplement of all provinces are Evaluation of the degree of sustainability of temperate (2 balls). natural systems is important to define modern human impact on landscapes. Permafrost conditions characterize these provinces as following. According to power The analysis of changes of environment with of the seasonally frozen and seasonally two complementary methods– component 4 S5-13 thawed layers provinces are stable (1 ball). low temperature in Timpton-Uchurskoy High temperature of melt and frozen soils province also increases its resistance to and low volumetric ice promote violation of moderate (1 ball). soil and cryogenic processes appearing, Location of Timpton-Uchursk province in which makes the landscapes unstable (3-4 the zone of continuous distribution of balls). In the Middle Viluysk province permafrost rocks makes landscapes fragile continuous distribution of permafrost (4 balls). Discontinuous distribution of reduces resistance and in the Prilensk permafrost rocks of two other natural province island distribution – heighten. implies a weak effect on reducing their Other two provinces of discontinuous stability and determines their weak stability distribution of frozen solid are unstable. on this factor (2 balls). Taiga, woodlands and cliff landscapes of Thus in flat part of the ESPO way (from mountainous part of the way according to Talakan to Aldan) stability of middle taiga the degree of stability is as follows. natural systems to technogenic impact is According to moisture all the provinces are average, except the regions of Talakan - characterized as moist (1 ball) and stable. Lensk, where their resistance increases. At Chulmanskaya relatively flat province mountain segments of the route - Aldan - according to bioclimatic indices has a higher Tynda (to border of the Amur region) degree of stability. This favors by increased variety of geomorphological and climatic biological productivity and phytomass conditions led to broader range of reserves of mountain taiga forests, and heat sustainability of mountain landscapes from supply. The same parameters of Olekma - stable of Chulman to middle stability of Timpton and Timpton-Uchursk provinces of Olekma-Timpton and weak stability of woodlands type are characterized as low Timpton-Uchursk provinces. productive with low sources of phytomass As mentioned above, not only and according to thermo supplement they environmental impacts of construction and are marked as moderately cold (sum of operation of the ESPO play important role, active temperatures don not heighten 1000). but also social and economic impacts on Thus according to bioclimatic indices the living conditions of indigenous people. degree of stability of Chulmansk mountain taiga province ranges from weak to middle. The way of oil pipeline ESPO in Yakutia Olekma -Timpton and Timpton-Uchursk touches mainly interests of indigenous mountain and forest provinces are unstable people of the North – evens. Changes in the according to most of bioclimatic indices, natural complex and in its main constituents except index of moisture. have been studied quite well, but social and domestic, medical and social and cultural According to permafrost conditions aspects of life of indigenous people of the distribution of natural systems to the degree North in the area of ESPO pipeline on the of stability is following: to volumetric ice contrary have not been. content of surface rocks all three provinces are considered as highly volatile (4 balls) Meanwhile actuality of this problem is because of high ice content. But depth of obvious especially against economic crisis. seasonally thawed and seasonally frozen The remoteness and inaccessibility of the layers (1,0-4,0 m) of Olekma-Timpton and region, decrease of living standards, Chulman provinces increases their resistance wildland, instability, alcoholism, increased to middle, while the smaller capacity of crime and other negative sides of life in the these layers in Timpton-Uchursk province territories, involved in energy construction (0,6 -2,2 m) determines its stability as weak. are obvious factors. Also we can add the following: consequences of changes to Low soil temperatures of the first two degradation of natural habitat, violations of provinces increases their resistance to 2 historically built natural relations, balls, defining their weak resistance, while 5 S5-13 subtraction of places of hunting, fishing and [7] M.G. Vinogradova, E.V. Shaikin. Influence of oil camping ground, environment pollution both and oil products on water condition in the city of Tver and Tver region./Fundamental researches. harming to health of people and bases of 2006. No 12. Pages 83-85 eco-mindedness and eco-view. So all these [8] Academic Nikolay Laverov. “Don’t give way to factors raise question of necessity of extempore” // Rossiyskaya gazeta. – 8 studying and researching such natural and September, 2006. technogenic systems as the ESPO, which [9] M.N. Zheleznyak, I.V. Dorofeev, S.I. Serikov, A.A. Urban, V.N. Semenov. Engineer and criteria of functioning quality is condition of geocryological conditions of the way of ESPO physical and moral health of human – pipeline in Aldan-Tynda region //Scientific representative of indigenous people, supplement of megaprojects of the Republic of involved in the process of natural habitat Sakha (Yakutia) realization. – , 2009 – transformation. Most of indigenous people pages 61-66 [10] Permafrost and landscape map of the Yakut do not receive any benefits from the ASSR. Scale 1:2 500 00/ Associate editor P.I. considerable investment that is necessary for Melnikov. – Moscow: GUGK, 1991. – 2 pages. ESPO construction. In many cases even are [11] N.A. Shpolyanskaya, L.I. Zotova. Map of not used as workers because employers stability of landscapes of cryolite zone of the prefer to sign contracts with workers from Western Siberia // Newsletter of MSU. Series 5. – Geography. – 1994. – No 1 – pages 56-65 other areas. Even if resettled people are used [12] I.I. Buks. Some methodic questions on to construct the pipeline, they are not determining potential stability of natural included into the permanent staff. complexes with the aim to predict their condition // Methodology and methods of geographic In conclusion we want to say that the main prediction. – Moscow, 1983. Pages 104-113 question is not to stop works on ESPO [13] A.N. Fedorov, T.A. Botulu, S.P. Varlamov and pipeline construction in the South Yakutia others. Permafrost landscapes of Yakutia: basing on negative experience of previous Concept note to “Permafrost and landscape map years, but to take into account all the of Yakutia”. Moscow: GUGK, 1989 – 70 pages. [14] I.I. Buks, V.N. Baiborodin, L.S> Timirbaeva. mistakes that led to nature degradation and Correlation and ecological and phytocenotic to use more integral complex approach to map. Scale 1:7 500 000 // Series. Maps of economically important projects of population and domestication nature of Asia of development of the republic and our country . – Moscow, 1977. – 1 page. in general with priority on social and ecological aims. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

LITERATURE Nogovitsyn Dmitry D. Dr., Principal researcher V. P. Larionov Institute of Physical [1] East Siberian oil fills oil pipeline ESPO up to 2015 and Technical Problems of the North // Yakutia. – 28 November, 2007 – page 2. 1, Oktyabrskaya Str.,Yakutsk,677007, [2] Hand book on climate of the USSR. Edition 24. Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia Yakut ASSR, part II. Air and soil temperature. Tel.4112-390564 Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1966 – 400 pages. e-mail: dnogovicyn @yandex.ru Joint-Stock Company “Transneft” (Moscow) [3] G.I. Andreev, S.A. Smirnov, V.A. Tikhomirov. Bases of scientific work and results of scientific Nikolaeva Nadejda А. Dr., Senior researcher activity framing. – Moscow: Finances and V. P. Larionov Institute of Physical sctatistics, 2003. – 272 pages. and Technical Problems of the North [4] Catalogue of ice-jam parcels of the rivers of the 1, Oktyabrskaya Str.,Yakutsk,677007, USSR. Volume 2. Asian part of the USSR. – Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1978. – 288 pages. Tel.4112-390568 [5] V.R. Alexeev. Formation and distribution of aufeis in the South of Yakutia conditions. – “Aufeis of Siberia” – Moscow: Nauka, 1967. – pages 31- Sheina Zinaida M. Scientist 41. V. P. Larionov Institute of Physical [6] Resources of surface waters. Volume 17. Lena and and Technical Problems of the North Indigirka regions. - Leningrad: 1, Oktyabrskaya Str.,Yakutsk,677007, Hydrometeoizdat, 1972. – 652 pages. Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia 6 S5-13

Tel.4112-390563 e-mail: zsheina @yandex.ru

Sergeeva Lyudmila P. Junior researcher V. P. Larionov Institute of Physical and Technical Problems of the North 1, Oktyabrskaya Str.,Yakutsk,677007, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia Tel.4112-390563

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