Bashkiria Kurultay will consider draft law on environmental information disclosure

The State Assembly - Kurultay of Bashkiria will consider a draft law on the disclosure of environmental information. This includes data on air, soil, water pollution, the radiation situation, permanent sources of pollutants, the level and mass of emissions from such sources, the production and consumption waste management, and measures to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Only information constituting a state secret will not be subject to disclosure.

As explained by the State Assembly, the legislators propose to regulate the placement of environmental information in open sources.

"It is the constitutional right of every citizen to receive reliable information about the state of the environment," the Chairman of the State Assembly Konstantin Tolkachev said. "Ecology is one of the key topics of concern to the population, while only a limited number of departments and organizations have access to environmental information. This is especially true for residents of industrial cities. We constantly live in conditions of increased environmental stress. Industrial emissions and exhaust gases pollute the air. Industrial effluents enter water and soil. We propose to remove the veil of secrecy from the environmental issues and give people answers to their questions."

The bill on amendments to the Environmental Code of the Republic will be considered on May 27.