Public hearings

KPO regularly submits construction projects and related environmental measures to the public for discussion and approval

While planning and constructing new facilities it is important for KPO to take into consideration the public opinion on environmental issues and use of natural resources. Transparency of state environmental expertise and publics’ engagement in decision-making are ensured through public hearings. KPO provides an opportunity to all interested citizens and public associations to express their opinion at public hearings. Public comments and suggestions are reviewed by the Company and contribute to better quality development of project documentation.

In 2023, the Company held public hearings on materials of an inquiry for obtaining Environmental Impact Permit:

• For KPO facilities located at the Karachaganak Field for 2024. According to the RoK Environmental Code, the public hearings were held on 8-9 October 2023 by means of open meetings in 4 rural districts of the Burlin region (Uspenovskiy, Priuralnyi, Zharsuatsky, Pugachevsky). For public consideration there were presented 84 construction projects, three emission ratio design projects, Waste Management programme, Industrial Control programme, Environmental Protection Plan.
• Public hearings for the KPC — Bolshoi Chagan — Atyrau export pipeline facilities located in the West Kazakhstan Oblast for 2024-2030 held on 8 November 2023 by the means of open meetings in the Kushum rural district of the Baiterek region (Bolshoi Chagan village). One construction project, two emission ratio design projects, Waste Management Programme, Industrial Control Programme, Environmental Protection Plan were presented for the public review.
• Public hearings for facilities of the KPC — Bolshoi Chagan — Atyrau export pipeline located in the Atyrau oblast for 2024-2030 were held on 22^nd November 2023 as open meetings in the Makhambet rural district (Beibarys village). Two construction projects, two emission ratio design projects, Waste Management Programme, Industrial Control Programme, Environmental Protection Plan were presented for the public consideration.

Information about the planned public hearings was brought for attention of the state authorities and the public through announcements at the Unified Environmental Portal, in a periodical printed publication (newspaper), TV channel and on bulletin boards of local executive authorities of administrative-territorial units.

All projects submitted for discussion at the public hearings in 2023 were endorsed by the state authorities and the public. The results of public hearings were reflected in the protocols of public hearings. A package of documents submitted for the public hearings, including the discussion results, are available on the website https://ecoportal.kz/.

Public hearing sessions are attended by local authorities’ representatives, concerned regulatory bodies, media, general public, KPO and its contractor project companies. People in the audience have an opportunity to receive information concerning the KPO scheduled projects and, environmental activities and raise their questions. Mostly, the public is interested in matters about the projects’ timelines, volume of emissions and measures to reduce them, methods of waste management and soil reclamation after the activities` completion. Representatives of KPO and project companies address all questions in full.