In Kryvyi Rih, eco-activists of the DTRK offered to oblige enterprises use best available technologies and management methods (BREF).
This will contribute to the reduction of industrial the burden on the environment and people, as well as eco-modernization, in particular the largest polluting company ArcelorMittal, reports the public organization "It is enough to poison Kryvyi Rih."
Kryvyi Rih is one of the largest industrial centers of Ukraine, home to 87 large industrial enterprises. However, most of them were built during the Soviet era with outdated technologies, which causes great damage to the environment. For example, ArcelorMittal is responsible for 80% of air pollution.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih planned to implement several large investment projects in 2022, including eco-modernization. However, due to a full-scale invasion, the company had to suspend them. The only exceptions were the construction of a new tailings storage facility, which is critically needed for continued ore extraction, and the modernization of blast furnace No. 9, which usually produces 2/3 of the company's pig iron.
Local residents often blame the company for ecological disasters in the city. For example, that the activities of ArcelorMittal cause metal rains.
In addition, due to the destruction of the dam at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih in December 2021, a technical water leak of approximately 80,000 cubic meters occurred. It got into regulating capacities No. 1, No. 2, as well as into the pipeline. The company ignored the requirements of the State Environmental Inspection and did not carry out the OVD procedure for the "Centralne" tailings storage facility since 2020.
Eco-activists also proposed specifying the environmental rights of citizens, in particular regarding participation in environmental decision-making procedures and public hearings. In addition, they called for enshrining the right of citizens to challenge the actions or inaction of organizations and enterprises that led to the violation of environmental rights.
"Very often it is enterprises that violate environmental legislation, and the public should have the opportunity to defend their well-being in the courts," they emphasized.
The authors emphasized that informing the community about the state of the environment before the full-scale invasion of Russia was at a very low level. And residents could not find out about the deterioration of the environmental situation in time and even had difficulties in obtaining information after the fact, especially from enterprises.
Eco-activists also proposed a list of new eco-obligations for local self-government bodies:
- develop local environmental programs and monitor their implementation;
- ensure citizens' access to environmental information and notify about emergency situations;
- apply to the court for the purpose of restoring the environmental rights of citizens;
- to provide the central body with relevant information during the ATS procedure;
- to take part in the procedures of ATS and SEO, to provide their comments and suggestions.
As EcoPolitic reported previously, in Kryvyi Rih ArcelorMittal closed two obsolete coke batteries No. 1 and No. 2, which will reduce the volume of pollutant emissions from coke production by a third.
