Pipeline approved

last updated 8 January 2015

Lake Baikal, Russia

The Russian government this week approved a plan to build an oil pipeline close to the shore of Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake. At 400 miles long and 30 miles wide, the lake holds more than 20 percent of the planet’s nonfrozen fresh water, and is the sole home of hundreds of species. International scientists had opposed the plan, saying that an earthquake in the seismically active region could rupture the pipeline and send oil gushing into the lake. But the Kremlin said Russia sorely needs a route to move Siberian oil to Asian markets.