129
Good Practice
Environment
Global Compact International Yearbook 2013
ing effects on the gray whale popu-
lation. Following up on the experts’
recommendations, Sakhalin Energy
has adjusted their production plans.
So, despite the considerable financial
costs, the construction of a pipeline for
a year was postponed, the route was
changed, a seismic survey was post-
poned, etc. Within the framework of
the research on gray whales, there was
also an international satellite tagging
program, which has already yielded
some very interesting results about
the migration patterns of animals in
the North Pacific Ocean.
The program’s details are present-
ed on the IUCN website
www.iucn
.
org/wgwap/ and at “Gray Whales. The
Sakhalin Story” at
www.sakhalinenergy
.
ru/ru/documents/wgw_book_web.pdf.
•
Steller’s Sea Eagles
A programwas launched in 2004 to study
and preserve the Steller’s Sea Eagle in
the northeastern part of Sakhalin. In the
course of construction work, Sakhalin
Energy paid a great deal of attention to
impact mitigation. For example, each of
the occupied nests impacted by construc-
tion was assigned as a protective zone;
eagle couples were constantlymonitored
in certain nesting areas where the poten-
tial impact was high, etc. These efforts
minimized the construction’s impact:
All nesting areas were preserved, and
during the multi-year construction, the
eagle’s fertility rate remained at the
average for the population.
To assess the condition of the whole
population, the Company’s studies cov-
ered not only the potentially impacted
area, but also a vast territory in the
northeastern part of Sakhalin. Once
Sakhalin-2 entered the operational phase,
the Company updated the monitoring
program. For details, see “The Steller’s
Sea Eagle” at
www.sakhalinenergy.ru/en/
documents/Steller_Sea_Eagle.pdf.
•
Wetlands
Sakhalin wetlands have a unique value
to Sakhalin’s natural environment. The
wetlands absorb precipitation and feed
water to streams and rivers, maintain-
ing the surface water balance, and are
therefore very important for migrating
and spawning salmon. It is necessary
for Sakhalin Energy to make sure pipe-
line construction does not affect these
fragile ecosystems. Mitigationmeasures
included temporary restrictions on
work; requirements for equipment;
arrangement of plank roads (temporary
roads); earthworks only for the trench
line; and reclamation of right-of-way.
The Company monitored the rein-
statement of wetlands after construc-
tion as well as any potential long-term
impacts caused by the construction or
presence of pipelines.
•
Ballast water discharge
The migration of alien organisms from
one region to another within ships’ bal-
last water poses a global problem, often
leading to major environmental and
economic disasters. Sakhalin Energy
decided to use international practices
based on the IMO Convention for the
Control and Management of Ships’ Bal-
last Water and Sediments requirements.
Although Russia ratified the Convention
in April 2012, it will not take effect
until it is signed by 30 maritime na-
tions holding 35 percent of the world’s
merchant tonnage.
As early as 2009, Sakhalin En-
ergy developed and implemented an
integrated Ballast Water Management
Policy. For the purpose of compliance
with this policy, each vessel is inspected
for a number of parameters, and dis-
charge is allowed only after confir-
mation of ballast water replacement
in the open sea. Efficiency of these
control measures is checked through
biological analysis of ballast waters of
the tankers.
Every year since 2007, the Com-
pany has been monitoring Aniva Bay
near Prigorodnoye production complex
by sampling and analyzing plankton,
benthos, and epibioses. Monitored re-
sults have led to the firm conclusion
that the Company’s controls are highly
effective.