The division of Rostechnadzor (the state environmental, technological, and nuclear safety watchdog) in Ural Federal District conducted some inspections aimed at checking the compliance of Klyuchevsk Ferrous Alloys Works (based in Dvurechensk) with the environmental protection and industrial safety regulations.

Rostechnadzor’s press officer reports these inspections proved that the plant violated the existing environmental legislation. The enterprise’s maximum admissible discharge quotas did not take into account some of the emission sources; to make matters worse, the equipment employed there was and is used without any emission permits. According to the experts’ estimates, the plant exceeded the nitrogen dioxide emission quotas for its No.1 electric furnace by 1.8 times; the quotas for the lime furnace carbon monoxide emissions were exceeded by 5.5 times. The logs appear to contain incorrect data on how long the main equipment and the dust- and gas-cleaning facilities actually operate. Then, the plant does not gauge the effectiveness of its cleaning facilities; nor did it set up a special waste storage facility that would meet all the sanitary and conservation requirements.

Rostechnadzor issued a few orders that Klyuchevsk Ferrous Alloys Works must obey; namely, the plant must gauge the amount of emissions that comes from the unregistered sources and consider these sources when calculating the sum that is to be paid in the form of emission fees. Their logs must provide data on the actual operating time of both the main equipment and the dust- and gas-cleaning facilities. Then, the equipment needs to be tested for effectiveness, the plant’s emission payments are to be recalculated, and a proper storage facility for mercury-containing waste must be put up.