Towns across Russia are poisoned by factories. At the most polluted sites, such as the Arctic town of Norilsk, plant life is dead for km (miles) around the smokestacks and people complain of breathing problems and other symptoms.
"We talk a lot about ecological problems, but the state has no real levers of influence in this area," said Trutnev in the published comments.
"Therefore the natural resources ministry has taken the decision to create the first legal initiatives in this extremely sensitive sphere with the aim of creating ... a single ecological code."
Russia's factories are at best two-and-a-half times less energy efficient than their European competitors, and the new laws would aim to reduce pollution.
"The first step would have to be the creation of a system encouraging our main polluters - industrial concerns - not to pay fines but invest money in modernising production to meet ecological demands," Trutnev said. Environmental groups say Russia has done little since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to clean up industry that, in communist times, aimed only to maximise production. Trutnev confirmed that combating pollution would be difficult.
"Since this question affects all of Russian industry, we must approach it cautiously and thoroughly. I think that already in the second quarter of 2005, a series of legal initiatives will be sent for the cabinet to examine."
Some Russian firms have pinned hopes on mechanisms spelled out in the Kyoto pact on climate change, which aim to encourage foreign firms to invest to cut pollution.
In other plans, Trutnev said the ministry would aim to build more roads to increase logging access to Russian forests, build new reservoirs to improve water supply and boost oil exploration - something he said oil companies were neglecting.