October 16, 2007 (LPAC)--Russian delegates to the Arctic Energy Conference in Anchorage, Alaska made clear Russia's intention to proceed with the Bering Strait Railway and Tunnel project to Alaska in their press briefing yesterday afternoon, which they delivered together with other members of the Interhemispheric Bering Strait Tunnel and Railroad Group (IBSTRG), according to a report filed today by Marcia Baker, Economics Editor of the Executive Intelligence Review, the weekly publication founded by Lyndon LaRouche.

The speakers on the Bering Strait Railroad and Tunnel Project, with its thousands of kilometers of rail connections in eastern Russia and North America, included George Koumal, President, and Craig Burroughs, Treasurer, of the tri-nation (U.S., Russia, and Canada) non-profit organization, IBSTRG. The Russian speakers were Academician Yevgeni Velikhov, President of the Kurchatov Institute and chairman of the People's Chamber of the Russian Federation; Alexander Sergeyev, Member of the Executive Board of RusHydro; and Lev Stilman, Advisor to the Governor of Chukotka. The IBSTRG members had visited the tunnel site on Alaska's Seward Peninsula earlier on Monday, Koumal reported.

The group reported on the status, benefits, and technical particulars of the Tunnel and the rail corridor. The Interhemispheric Bering Strait Tunnel and Railroad Group is preparing a compact for a "dialogue" to proceed, leading to the relevant governments committing to the project.

Key points made by the speakers were:

• Academician Velikhov reported on the key role that nuclear mini-plants will play. They will be produced as mobile units that can be transported to wherever needed by trucks, rail, or floated into position. Velikhov's remarks were fiery, on the need for nuclear power, and high-technology versions of everything required, and included many graphics. These graphics were streamed, and are being archived at www.arcticportal.org.
• Alexander Sergeyev of RusHydro stated emphatically that Russia has already started building its part of "World Link." He stated dramatically, that, "Even while we're standing here," there are machines at work in Russia providing hydro-electricity for the expansion of the rail lines. He announced that on Oct. 19, the Bureyskaya Hydroelectric Power Station in Russia's Far East will go operational at its full, 2,000 MW capacity, after the final testing of the dam's sixth unit and the upgrading of previously built sections. Sergeyev also reported on the Sept. 6 Russian government approval of the plan for expansion of rail lines in the country, covering the period until 2030.
• Sergeyev announced that Russia can provide one-third, or $20 billion, of the total funding needed for the rail line in Russia, the Bering Strait Tunnel, and 2000 km of rail from the Seward Peninsula to British Columbia, as well as the 150 km of the Tunnel itself--so what is needed, is to find the remaining $50 billion. Mr. Koumal said at the press breifing, that this could come from private interests, if the project gets the needed government commitment.

The Oct. 15 press release of the ICL World Link and IBSTRG describes the social processes under way to get full backing from all groups involved for the project. The release explains:

"In the run-up to the summit ("The Arctic Energy Summit"), the managers of the IBSTRG met with the Hon. Walter Hickel--former Governor of Alaska, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Dan Sullivan. The highly placed U.S. officials have shown deep interest in the project. Gov. Sarah Palin [R-Alaska] sent a letter expressing support for the project as well. The ICL World Link Project has economic and humanitarian advantages, and has importance for the development of the northern Arctic and north regions of the U.S.A., Russia, and Canada.

"On the same day, IBSTRG initiated public discussion regarding the project ICL-World Link involving the residents and the administration of Alaska Village Wales on the shore of the Bering Strait, as well as the representatives of the Alaska Native Corporation, which owns land in the vicinity of the prospective Bering Strait Tunnel entry-exit point. The native people have supported the idea of creating the Bering Strait tunnel, which will contribute to the region's economic growth, and create more workplaces. The participants also asked to take into consideration during the feasibility study, minimization [of] the effect of the project on the lifestyles of the indigenous population. [After] the discussions, IBSTRG and RusHydro met with the mayor of Nome, the administrative center and a nub closest to the future transport corridor." The geology has been studied near Wales for both the tunnel and railroad.