Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told...

Trutnev told the prime minister that during his talks with Oleg Deripaska, the owner of the plant, further details of the situation at the mill had been revealed.

"He [Deripaska] said new technologies to prevent pollution in the lake haven"t been developed yet, but they will have them worked out in three years" time," said Trutnev.

On January 13, Putin signed a resolution excluding the production of pulp, paper and cardboard from the list of operations banned in the Baikal natural territory. Environmentalists decried the move and are planning to appeal to President Dmitry Medvedev to cancel Putin"s resolution.

In late December, the Baikal mill started testing its equipment, and produced the first test batch of unbleached pulp last week.

MOSCOW, January 27 (RIA Novosti)