17 August 2005, 19:45
Local residents clash with oil authorities
Residents of Solionaia Balka in Grozny's Staropromyslovskii district demand that local oil authorities should discontinue the construction of a gas-oil separation plant situated in the immediate vicinity of the community.
"They want to install a separation plant literally within 200 metres of our community. But people here have enough health problems without that. Many have heart diseases, hypertension, etc. Besides, many families have children, including small ones. And they want to give us another 'present' in the form of processed oil products here" Aziz Sakayev, 50, says indignantly.
The Oil Industry Ministry maintains that the construction of the gas-oil separation plant near Solionaia Balka is "absolutely safe."
That may or may not be true though, but what else they can really say? The truth is there is hardly any safe oil and gas facility in this country.
Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent
