Patrushev announced the allocation of 15 billion for the disposal of industrial waste on Lake Baikal

15 billion rubles will be allocated to eliminate accumulated environmental damage in the territory of the former Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BCBK). This was announced on August 27 by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev during a working trip to the Irkutsk region.

"By the decision of the president, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Rosatom are engaged in the elimination of accumulated damage in this area. In total, more than 6.5 million cubic meters of waste will have to be disposed of. The government has already allocated more than 11 billion rubles for the implementation of relevant measures. In total, it is planned to allocate over 15 billion. The financing is carried out within the framework of the national project "Environmental well-being". At the moment, the infrastructure for the purification of polluted waters is being created. After that, their processing and disposal of the resulting concentrate will begin. The facility is being recultivated in parallel. It is planned to complete the implementation of the main part of this large—scale project by the end of 2027," he stressed.

Special attention was paid during the meeting to the Baikal development program, which Patrushev oversees in the government of the Russian Federation. In particular, issues of energy and heat supply, tourism development and ecology, including the clearing of water bodies and coastal protection, were considered.

During his trip to the region, Patrushev also visited the Babkhinsky landfill, where work is underway to eliminate accumulated environmental damage. In particular, the Deputy Prime Minister assessed the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant (DSP).

The Deputy Prime Minister also visited the All-Russian ECO Ecological Campus.The WORKSHOP is a competence center for eco-tourism and eco-oriented development, which was established on the territory of a former industrial site. Today, there is a forum area for holding mass events, 13 tents with a total area of about 2 thousand square meters have been installed for events, catering, exhibitions and media centers. Modular guest houses have also been built. The existing campus infrastructure is being upgraded to create a full-fledged hotel cluster in 2026.

In addition, a bilateral meeting was held between Patrushev and the governor of the region, Igor Kobzev. The parties discussed the implementation of the Siberian Development Strategy, as well as the work of the agro-industrial complex of the region, in particular, the implementation of the state program for integrated rural development. In 2025, the government allocated almost one and a half billion rubles to the region to support the industry and develop rural areas. Also, a harvesting campaign has already started in the region. Grain volumes are at last year's level.

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On March 24, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that Russian regions would be able to receive subsidies for the creation of sewage treatment plants near Lake Baikal. He clarified that this initiative concerns two subjects — Buryatia and Irkutsk region. According to the Prime Minister, the federal budget for the next three years provides for more than 9.5 billion rubles for the reconstruction and construction of sewage treatment plants near Lake Baikal.

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