Landfills located within city boundaries will be eliminated by the end of 2023, one year earlier than planned. Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko made this statement at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Of the 191 urban landfills in Russia, 29 have already been eliminated, another 13 are scheduled to be closed this year, and approximately 150 more landfills are planned to be eliminated in 2022 and 2023.
«One of the largest urban landfill remediation projects has been completed in Chelyabinsk. The city had the largest landfill in Europe within its boundaries, containing 17.5 million cubic metres of waste. It was formed in the 1950s, and by 1980 its capacity had been fully exhausted. In fact, waste acceptance at this landfill only ceased in 2018. Vladimir Vladimirovich, this is what the landfill looked like just two years ago. It was a mountain of waste more than 40 metres high, covering more than 74 hectares. And now — it is a green, safe area. A week ago, city residents held the first sporting events there. Thanks to the measures taken, the work was completed ahead of schedule. I would like to thank the Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexey Leonidovich Teksler, Rosprirodnadzor and the contractor, «Rosatom», for their prompt work, carried out virtually in headquarters mode, — Victoria Abramchenko said.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the example of Chelyabinsk shows how remediated areas can be integrated into city life. «In Tatarstan, for example, people are choosing to use a remediated landfill for the development of winter sports or the creation of a botanical garden. I believe that this practice should be supported and that people’s views on the future use of former landfill sites should be taken into account», she added.
Based on materials from www.interfax.ru
Photo: Chelyabinsk city landfill in 2019 and in August 2021
