The Law of the Russian Federation on Subsoil

The provision of subsoil for use, including its provision for use by state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, is issued by a special state permit in the form of a license for the use of subsoil (Art. 11).

The government can terminate a license for violation of its "essential" conditions, or for safety threats to the workers and the surrounding community. (Art. 20)

 The main requirements for the rational use and protection of the subsoil include (among others): 

• ensure the most complete extraction from the subsoil of the reserves of the main and, together with them, occurring minerals and associated components;
• reliable account of the reserves of the main and, together with them, occurring minerals and associated components, extracted and left in the subsoil, during the development; 
• prevention of damage to subsoil during the use of the subsoil (Art. 23).

Article 24 requires safe operations for workers, including monitoring of the mine atmosphere and the presence of "harmful and explosive gases"; ceasing work if levels of these gases exceed health standards; and preventing "sudden emissions of gases."

Permit conditions could directly or indirectly curb methane emissions. (They might also enable the venting of methane, for safety reasons.)

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