The profits of Novolipetsk Iron & Steel Works (NLMK) amounted to $4.32bn in January-September 2009; this figure was 55% lower than that for January-September 2008, the company’s consolidated financial report for the three quarters of 2009 states. NLMK’s gross profit plunged by 73% down to $1.3bn, while its operating profit decreased by 86% and came to $545m. The money flow shrank by 34%. At the same time, the company’s net debt rose by 29% and reached $761m. The enterprise’s EBITDA came to $917m in January-September 2009, which was 77% less than in the nine months of 2008. The EBITDA

Sverdlovsk Region division of Rospotrebnadzor (the state technological, nuclear, and environmental safety watchdog) carried out a number of scheduled inspections of Ural Chemical Agents Plant based in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. Eight violations of the law were detected in the course of the inspection, so the inspecting officials issued seven orders, drew up administrative offense protocols, and imposed several administrative fines on the offender, the spokesperson for Ural Federal District’s division of Rospotrebnadzor reports. In addition to this, five violations were revealed at Irgina health