ABSTRACT
The problems of environmental protection in Russia have become a topic of public attention both within the country and abroad. Chernobyl and the Aral Sea have become global symbols of environmental catastrophe. Even Danilov-Danil'ian admits that there is "a marked weakness in environmental policy." In the early 1990s, environmental litigation was relatively widespread. Several dozen lawsuits filed throughout the country contested various anti-environmental decisions made by the authorities. Many environmental problems related to pollution could be resolved simply by using the pollution control equipment already on hand. Most environmental Non-governmental organizations active in Russia are also financed by Western foundations. Their main crime was trying to tell the truth about the environmental threats posed by Russian military chemical and nuclear sites. Public opinion polls in 1990-1991 showed that environment ranked second or third among the problems that most concerned Russians.
