Natural Resources Minister Reports on the “Clean Country” Project

On 7 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the Government of the Russian Federation. The meeting included a report by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov.

The Minister reported that, over the five years of the federal project «Clean Country», 216 sites containing accumulated environmental damage had been remediated. These include dumps, landfills, sludge ponds and storage facilities for toxic waste. Work at 63 sites will be completed by the end of the year.

Key points from the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment’s report:

• A total of 135 waste dumps have been remediated. The areas where they were located are now safe. Trees and shrubs are being planted there. A further 56 dumps will be remediated by the end of the year. Particular attention is being paid to sites near tourism centres.
• Under the federal project, 81 sites containing accumulated environmental damage have been remediated, and work at a further seven will be completed by the end of the year. These include oil contamination sites, sludge-water storage facilities and waste from hazardous production processes.  
• The expertise accumulated during the years of «Clean Country» will help launch the federal project «General Cleanup», which will become part of the new national project «Environmental Well-Being» from 2025. The remediation of hazardous sites will continue.
• The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, together with the regions, environmental experts and volunteers, has compiled a “people’s” list of sites that pose a threat to human health. Of the 770 sites surveyed, 38 were identified as posing a threat to human health. They will be remediated through joint efforts by the federal centre and the relevant region.
• Work continues to remediate Russia’s most hazardous sites, including the «Krasny Bor» industrial waste landfill, the former «Usolyekhimprom» enterprises and the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill.
• The Government is not only remediating hazardous waste accumulated in the past (hazard classes I and II), but also creating conditions for the disposal of new waste. To this end, two plants are being built: Shchuchy and Gorny.