Project cases

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Preliminary: Background

In connection with a number of events relating to Karabash town and to the town-forming company "Karabashmed' " (a member of the "Russian Copper Company" holding), there arose an unhealthy environment which led to the destabilization of the plant's operation and to public disturbances. The project was realized in a very short time (3 months), and achieved its goals. Timeframe of the project: November 1, 2005 – January 31, 2006. Result: a positive image of the town was built up on the regional level; claims against the company were cancelled; operation of the Karabashmed' CJSC was normalized..
Karabashmed' CJSC was created on the base of one of Ural's oldest copper enterprises - the Karabash copper-smelting complex (founded in 1910.). Briquetted ore concentrate is processed here. The company produces granular slag, blister copper, and sulphuric acid. Located in Karabash town, Chelyabinsk region.
In the almost 90 years of the complex operation, there was no fine treating of exhaust gases to eliminate lead, arsenic; there was no sulphur dioxide treating at all. As a result, in 1989, the complex was closed, the town was called "environmentla disaster zone".
After a new owner came in 2003 ("Russian Copper Company"), the plant has been completely upgraded, outdated shafts are being replaced by a new wasteless oven, all possible treatment facilities have been installed, a closed cycle of process water has been put in place. About 100 million dollars was invested in the plant's upgrading, which improved immediately the environmental condition in the town, and brought a considerable flow of money to the municipal budget. Nevertheless, the positive changes in the town's ecology were not noted on the federal and regional levels, which the competitros tried to take advantage of. On the eve of elections to the legislative assembly, the 'environmental problems' of Karabash town were directed against the governor of Chelyabinsk region as well.

Basic situation at the start of the project.

· Negative publications in central and regional mass media initiated by competitors, against the Karabashmed' CJSC and its management;

· inspections of the plant by the Chamber of Accounts of the Russian Federation;

· claims by the environmental prosecutor's office;

· public disturbances in Karabash town caused by publications in the press;

· legal action against the company's technical director;

· negative image of the town as a 'black hole', "Mars on the Earth';

· as a result, destabilization of the plant's operation.

Objtives of the project included:

· informing the public about the real situation (positive changes);

· renunciation of the negative image inherited from the Soviet epoch;

· reversal of the sign in the informational field from 'minus' to 'plus';

· creating favorable environment in the region of presence;

· building up positive attitude in the town;

· result: stabilization of the plant's operation.

In the course of realization of the short-term project, public media sources for the last 6 months were studied, which showed that 90% of all information was clearly negative, and 10% neutral, purely inormative. For the purposes of evaluating the overall situation, materials were also used of researches carried out in Karabash town and in the Karaashmed' CJSC in summer 2005 (expert interviews and focus groups), which allowed to mark some ways of resolving the problem of the stabilization of the situation in the town and in the plant.

Solution

The following actions were proposed to achieve the goal. First, official acknowledgement of environmental merits of the company's owners and top managers on the federal and regional levels. Second, reversal of negative emotions in respect of the town to positive ones, demonstrating a "live" town instead of a "dead" one. Third, environmental problems were moved to history, as currently they are not as acute as before. And, fourth, to organize an own informational campaign, publishing a reply in media, without personalizing the opponents.

The first task was resolved as follows: official documents were sent to the respective committee, stating how the plant had been upgraded, when and what kind of ecological reforms had been carried out. The Karabashmed' CJSC was awarded the title of the "Leader of environmental activities in Russia", and the plant managers got a medal for "Environmental protection achievements".

In order to demonstrate a town where people are living and working, a photo exhibition "The old new Karabash" was conducted in Chelyabinsk by Chelyabinsk government, in conjunction with the "Novosti" Information Agency of Russia. Then, the exhibition was brought to a number of towns in the region. An Internet site of the photo exhibition was opened, so that anyone in any part of the world could make sure that the town is alive.

Informational space was filled with positive information by means of the following tools:

· mailing press releases;

· initiating experts' comments and statements;

· organizing publications in central and regional media;

· 8 domain names registered, web sites created;

· influence agents working in forums and blogs.

There was organized a number of visits to the plant by Chelyabinsk region governor, deputies members of the ecology committee of the State Duma. The visit of the town and of the plant by the high authorities and the positive changes noted during the visits were covered in the press.

A concept was developed, of a museum of the plant, with an "ecological history" hall, an archive hall, and a modern upgraded hall. Works on the museum creation were announced in the local (municipal) media. The museum will open in the early 2007.

An 'Open House' day was conducted at the Karabashmed' CJSC for the residents, so that every town dweller could persomally inspect the changes in course on the plant, see the treating facilities, the new oven being mounted.

In order to increase the informational openness of the Karabashmed' CJSC, a press secretary has been employed on a permanent basis.

Project results
The analysis of the informational field (based on public sources) has confirmed that the number of negative publications decreased dramatically, there appeared a lot of positive information about the town and the plant. In the three months the project was being realized, negative publications made 30% of the total number, positive - 50%, and neutral - 20%/ The negative publications were clearly political or made to order, and were mostly attached to the elections taking place in Chelyabinsk region. Thus, in general, we can say that the informational rehabilitation of Karabash town and of the town-forming Karabashmed' CJSC was carried out successfully.

The Karabash town community was satisfied with the information received from media and Internet. When typing a request in Internet search systems, positive information about the town and the plant appears in top lines of the rating (including citation by environmental sites).

Claims against the Karabashmed' CJSC of the environmental prosecutor's office and of the municipal assembly deputies were revoked. The plant's activity was approved and supported by the public and the authorities of Chelyabinsk region.

The operation of the copper-smelting plant was stabilized, the goals were achieved.

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