Lake Baikal
The Baykalsk Pulp and Paper Mill was constructed in 1966 on the shoreline of Lake Baikal. The plant bleached paper using chlorine and discharged waste directly into Lake Baikal. The decision to construct the plant at Lake Baikal resulted in strong protests. The objections of Soviet scientists had opposition from the industrial lobby. Only after decades of protest was the plant closed in 2008 (and only because it was unprofitable). On 4 January 2010, production was resumed. On 13 January 2010, Russian President Vladimir Putin legalised the operation of the plant. This brought a wave of protests from ecologists and local residents. In September 2013 the mill went bankrupt.