“Heavy metals, falling into the soil, instantly kill all living things”
According to the press service of the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations, in the area of the Talnakh enrichment plant, which is owned by the Norilsk Nickel company, an illegal transfer of unidentified liquid from chemical odors to the tundra zone occurred. At the same time, there are no water intakes on site and there is a risk of runoff entering the Kharaelakh River, which flows into Lake Pyasino. Environmentalists report that water is contaminated with heavy metals, sulfurous acid and surfactants. The water has a strong unpleasant odor, and dead trees at the discharge site.
More precisely, the composition of the liquid will be known after laboratory testing. After the police, the Ministry of Emergencies, Rosprirodnadzor and the prosecutor’s office arrived at the scene, the staff took measures to stop the discharge. Moreover, the employees of Norilsk Nickel were in such a hurry that they dismantled the pipes and crushed a police car with a tractor, which arrived at the scene to clarify the circumstances. Norilsk Nickel itself reports that they stopped this drain, and are conducting an internal investigation into the incident. The regional office of the Investigative Committee also began an audit.
About what kind of threat the actions of Norilsk Nickel caused to the environment this time, MK said honored ecologist Andrei Peshkov:
– This is an environmental crime. Heavy metals, sulfuric acid – all this, falling into the exposure zone in at least some significant concentrations, instantly kills all life. Living organisms are designed to exist in a certain pH range. Moreover, this range is quite narrow. Norilsk Nickel, making profit from the extraction of natural resources that the company does not own, is detrimental to public health and the environment.
Heavy metals – and this may be mercury, lead, and this entire series – is poison. Even copper, which is less dangerous to humans, is deadly to aquatic life. These are crimes that should be qualified and punished accordingly. Why is this not being done, why is there no oversight in this area, why are the people who do this not in prison and their property is not confiscated? – These are questions for law enforcement environmental authorities.
Read also: Poisoned water from rivers near Norilsk was pumped directly into the forests
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