Azerbaijan
The basis of environmental legislation in Azerbaijan is "The Law on Nature Protection
and Utilization of Natural Resources, No.79", dated 25 February 1992. Monitoring and
control of environmental standards is carried out by divisions of the Azerbaijan State
Committee of Ecology and Control over nature Utilization (ASCE) and cover the entire
territory of the Republic, including the coastline.
 Legislation relating to emissions to both air and
water largely follows the FSU laws and regulations. Current emissions standards are likely
to be revised in due course to take proper account of local conditions. There is specific
legislation in force with comprehensive guidelines for environmental impact assessment
(EIA).,
Iran
The Department of the Environment (DOE) is responsible for all environmental protection
issues in the I.R. Iran. The DOE is attached to the president of the I.R. Iran. The DOE
has regional offices, with local offices in the major towns, and is responsible for
providing data on different aspects of the environment such as the status of marine
watersheds, terrestrial pollution, oil and other pollutant concentrations in water,
sediment and biota, air quality monitoring, identification of flora and fauna,
biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, protection of forest, pasture and
wetlands, identification and protection of natural sensitive habitat and endangered
species.
The national law "Environmental Protection and
Development" came into force in 1991 and defines the areas of responsibility within
environmental management and protection. There is no direct permit system within the
national rules and regulations on pollution control but permits are issued according to
specified deadlines for pollution elimination. The country’s EIA system is described in
"Note 82 of the Law of the Second Five Year Economic, Social and Cultural Development
Plan of the I.R. Iran". It defines the legal basis for supervising the EIA system and
environmental appraisal.
Kazakhstan
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is the central institution
responsible for the management and protection of the environment. Responsibility is
delegated to environmental administrations in the regions (or Oblasts) to observe the
status and changes in the environment influenced by any type of human activity and to
examine the implementation of tasks and measures for environmental protection, rational
use of resources and environmental improvement. The Republic of Kazakhstan is divided into
14 oblasts. Only two of these regions, Atyrau and Mangystau, are situated along the
Caspian Sea.
In 1997, a new law "On Environmental Protection"
came into force and defines the areas of responsibility within environmental management
and protection. The law specifies the competence of the involved agencies and the role of
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. Further, the new law
contains articles describing environmental impact assessment and ecological audit. There
is also the law "On Ecological Expertise" which includes regulations for
assessment of environmental impact. In accordance with this law, all developments have to
be evaluated by both environmental experts as well as the public. The next step – a
formal EIA – is not obligatory, but depends on the type of development project.
Russia
The State Committee for Environmental Protection has the overall responsibility for
environmental protection and pollution control in the Russian Federation and is
represented at the regional level in the Oblasts. The main environmental law "On
Protection of the Environment" has supporting regulations to cover the discharge of
wastewater to receiving water bodies, municipal collection systems, and for surface water
protection. The Russian EIA regulation is similar to most EIA regulations in other
countries.
Turkmenistan
The authority and responsibility for environmental management and control is delegated to
the velayats (provinces) and thence to Etraps (regions). The Caspian plain and the Caspian
seashore of Turkmenistan are under the authority of the Balkan Velayat with an
administrative centre located in Nebit-Dag City. One environmental officer represents the
province in each Etrap. The Turkmenistan Constitution of May 18, 1992, clause 78, directs
the responsibility for the rational utilization and protection of natural resources to the
Cabinet of Ministers. The environmental regulation is enforced at the province level, but
the central level can be involved in cases of appeal.
A permit is required for all industries and is based on
both concentration limits and loads for air and for wastewater, with the provincial
authorities investigating compliance approximately every 6 months, including – in
principle – monitoring of the emission if required. In recent years there has been a
lack of equipment and chemicals in the laboratories to undertake chemical analysis
adequately. The Department of Ecological Expertise is responsible for EIAs. The Ministry
of Nature Protection has initiated a project to improve the guidelines and the capacity to
assess the environmental issues related to establishment of new facilities in
Turkmenistan.
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