"Northern Caucasus" issues

Regional meeting on the issue of «Organization of work in the field of production and consumption residue treatment in the municipalities of the Stavropol region» was held in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Stavropol region. It was also attended by the chairman of the Stavropol regional public organization «Ecological Patrol» N.A. Mamedov.
- Nikolai Alekseyevich, what issues were raised at the meeting? To what extent it might be useful for representatives of public organizations to participate in such kind of events?
- The meeting addressed the following questions:
1. Progress report in the field of production and consumption residue treatment in the Stavropol region and priority measures for the implementation of key provisions of the general schemes for the sanitation of territories of the regional settlements.
2. Status of work in the field of treatment of biological and medical waste, observance of hygiene when handling waste.
3. Licensing activity in the area of waste management, approval of rates for accumulation of solid waste.
I believe that participation in such activities is very useful and even necessary for public organizations - from here we derive information on environmental issues, at that directly from professionals. And without sanitation it is we cannot speak of the normal environment in the city.
- What is, in your opinion, the state of Nevinnomyssk in production and consumption residue treatment?
- Production residue is a separate and capacious issue. It is unlikely that we will be able to reveal it in one interview. Let me just say that according to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the region, emissions from stationary sources, atmospheric pollutants in Nevinnomyssk exceed similar data on other regions and cities of the region at times.
Regarding the situation of production residue treatment, in Nevinnomyssk it is not as bad as in other parts of the Stavropol region. The Nevinnomyssk inter-municipal landfill for solid waste, which also serves for Kochubeyevsky and Shpakovsky districts, is well protected by natural conditions, has prospects for expansion and is located on the salt marsh land unsuitable for agriculture (except grazing). In the city there is an accumulator for particularly hazardous waste and an incinerator, located on the territory of JSC «Nevinnomyssk Azot».
This in no way means that the city has no problems in this area. Containers for garbage in the yards and bins in the streets are another problem, which has been inherited by the current City Administration. Refuse bins appeared in the central streets only last year, however, not for their entire length. People simply have nowhere to put garbage. And they throw it on the ground. I have plastic bags for garbage both in my car and in the pocket. But how to explain to people and make oneself understand - why should we carry garbage in bags and pockets, why there are no bins available, where garbage can be put. That is not an easy task.
- Was the issue of constructing a waste sorting complex in Nevinnomyssk raised at the meeting?
- The issue was not discussed separately. Although the construction of a waste sorting complex is a great work on attracting public and private investments, which are either lacked or more needed in other spheres. Construction is estimated to cost more than 180 million rubles. And the question of its economic feasibility in our difficult time of the crisis is very controversial.