Activists to Obtain Confidential Environmental Report About Kazakhstan’s Oil Drilling

Читайте этот материал на русском. Sergey Solyanik, Musagali Dauylov, and Anara Ibrayeva, three environmental activists won in court the right to read a confidential report that gave the green light to continue oil drilling near the Kokzhide water basin in the western Aktobe region.The press conference, called by the activists on August 4, follows the hearing of July 29, when an Almaty administrative court ordered the ministry of ecology to disclose the report, completed in February this year, which became the main argument to justify a complete restart of oil drilling operations near Kokzhide.According to the court, the ministry’s refusal to provide environmental information was “unlawful.” Vlast also asked the ministry to read the report earlier this year, but we were also denied access.When we asked the local department of ecology – a branch of the ministry – they also said that they were not given access to it.The report was prepared by KAZENERGY, an oil industry lobby organization, and Satpayev University.In 2023, the government had ordered to dismantle the rigs near Kokzhide for fears of environmental pollution.Months later, when the companies lobbied to resume operations, the government reversed the ban and gave permission to continue drilling.Through the report, the government aimed to retroactively justify its decision.