Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage closes subsidiary of Russian copper company with fines

Karabashmed may be stopped because of emissions.

Federal Department for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage in the Chelyabinsk region has decided on extreme measures to save the Southern Urals from ecological disaster. After inspection of emissions at Karabashmed (a part of Russian copper company (RMK) of Igor Altushkin), representatives of the Department filed a lawsuit to the city’s court on a full stop of the enterprise. In May, the plant intends to launch a new sulfuric acid plant, which threatens with growth of emissions several times. At the same time, RMK’s management hasn’t fulfilled promises to Governor Boris Dubrovsky for resettlement of about 500 residents from sanitary protection zone, expanded with a new production. The inhabitants of ecologically unfavorable Karabash sounding the alarm. However, experts think that representatives of RMK in spite of strong evidence of the dangers of the enterprise’s activity will be able to convince the court to limit the punishment with a fine for violation of the environmental legislation. According to the industry’s analysts, the main argument of RMK in the court will be the fact that Karabashmed is the city-forming enterprise.
According to acting head of the Department Galiulla Latypov, it held a planned field check at Karabashmed.

"By its results in respect of the legal entity reports on parts 1, 2, 3 of article 8.21 of the Russian Administrative Code were made. The Department filed a claim for business interruption. The court will decide about the period,"- said Mr. Latypov.