IRKUTSK, November 23 - RAPSI. A court upheld on Wednesday the decision to fine a pulp and paper mill $383,000 for polluting Lake Baikal, the natural resources management watchdog Rosprirodnadzor reported.

The watchdog earlier filed a lawsuit against the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill, claiming that the mill violated a federal decree and a law on the protection of Lake Baikal. The law prohibits the discharge of toxic waste waters into the lake.

Rosprirodnadzor uncovered that the mill has exceeded toxic concentrations in the waste waters discharged into Baikal since May 24, 2010 and thereby polluted the lake.

The Irkutsk Commercial Court affirmed in July the watchdog's decision to fine the mill 11.9 million rubles ($383,000) for environmental damage. The appeals court upheld the judgment on August 9. The Baikalsk mill then filed a cassation appeal against the courts' decisions.