Environmental Conditions

With a view of creating favourable living conditions Government of the Republic of Karelia pays great attention to aspects of preservation of favorable ecological conditions in the republic.

Despite of growth of volumes of environment affecting industrial production, condition of environment as a whole in the republic may be estimated as stable. Negative from the point of view of ecology situations and processes were of local, incidental and not regular nature.

Main sources of air atmospheric pollution in Karelia are enterprises of pulp-and-paper, metallurgical, mining branches and fuel and energy complex.

Emissions of polluting substances in atmospheric air on reports of 376 rnterprises have made 121.9 thousand tons (96.3% to the level of 2007), including 27.7 thousand tons of firm and 94.2 thousand tons of gaseous discharge. In total in Karelia emissions occurred from 8214 sources, 5836 of them were organized. At present in the republic there have been registered 1650 gas-cleaning units and dust-collecting plants.

Reduction of emission of polluting substances is caused by proceeding gasification of some enterprises of Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga region, performance of actions on reduction of discharge of polluting substances into the atmosphere at some enterprises of republic (Kondopoga, Inc., Pitkäaranta Pupl Mill, Inc., Segezha Pulp-and-Paper Plant, Inc., branch of NAZ-SUAL, Energetik Municipal Unitary enterprise). Decrease in emissions is also observed in territories of Medvezhiegorsk, Pitkäaranta, Byelomorsk, and Lahdenpohja regions.

Observed in last five years pollution of atmospheric air from stationary sources (on 11 thousand tons) occurs due to reduction of emissions of liquid and gaseous substances: 1.15 times decrease of sulfur dioxide, 1.14 times decrease of carbon monoxide. At the same time, emission of nitric oxide have increased 1.27 times. The amount of discharge of firm substances has remained almost the same.

In the last five years emission of polluting substances in the atmosphere from mobile sources have increased on 31,7 thousand tons, that is caused by increase in the quantity of motor and railway transportations.

In 2008 there have been issued 79 sanctions to discharge harmful (polluting) substances in the atmosphere by stationary sources.

Karelia's superficial water resources remain quite high, and quantitative parameters are not the factor limiting development of economy of the region. As a result of reduction of water consumption in publishing and polygraphic activity, in chemical production, in production of machinery and equipment in comparison with 2007 total water consumption has decreased by 8,3 million cubic meters. The main source of water consumption is the pool of Onego lake (58% of total amount of use).

Use of water in systems of reverse water supply and water recycling has made 1055,9 million cubic meters. Volume of the crude sewage discharged in open water intakes, has decreased by 5% to 12,4 million cubic meters (the lowest parameter in the last five years). Effluents treated to standard quality was discharged in the volume of 1,8 million cubic meters, clean sewage has made 34,7 million cubic meters, insufficiently purified sewage has made 191,6 million cubic meters. Most of drains is discharged in the pool of Onego lake (132,9 million cubic meters, the main water pollutants are Kondopoga, Inc., Petrozavodsk Municipal Systems, Inc., Vodokanal, Ltd.

In the republic there operate 98 complexes of treatment facilities with the general capacity of 336 million cubic meters, 32 of which provided 60.2% of sewage treatment to standard parameters.

One of the sources of anthropogenous environment pollution is wastes of production and consumption. Most of the waste is formed at mineral extracting enterprises, in pulp and paper industry, organizations of housing and communal services. On the considered data general wastes generation in the Republic of Karelia has made 106,4 million tons of dangerous waste, including waste 5 classes of danger (almost harmless) - 105,7 million tons (98% of which is waste of extraction and processing of ore minerals (1.6 times growth in the last 5 years)).

Large enterprises of the republic Karelsky Okatysh, Inc., Kondopoga, Inc., Segezha Pulp-and-Paper Plant, Inc., Pitkäaranta Pupl Mill, Inc., NAZ-SUAL, Inc., Bumex Lahdenpohja plywood mill, Inc., have formed more than 98% of dangerous waste.

To maintain effective governing in the field of environment preservation there has been founded the Interdepartmental commission on environment preservation in territory of the Republic of Karelia within which scope there passed 6 sessions on discussion of aspects of materials recovery and recycling of consumption residue in territory of 12 metropolitan regions, observance of rules of sanitary security in woods, development of model of production and consumption wastes treatment in territory of Karelia.

In 2008 systematic work on optimization of the network of especially protected natural territories of regional value was conducted, inventory of 61 objects in territory of Prionezhsky, Kondopoga, Pryazha, Soujärvi, Medvezhiegorsk, Pudozh and Lahdenpohja regions was taken, a new Voinitsa complex (landscape) reserve of regional value by the area of 8,4 thousang hectares in territory of Kalevala region was created. At the stage of coordination there are documents on creation of Chukozero and Syrovatka landscape reserves of regional value.

Government of the Republic of Karelia has formed a working group on preparation of project offers on formation of Ladoga Skerries national park. Together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation the working plan-schedule of the park creation has been approved. The park formation will be complete in 2010.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fish Industry and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia within the scope of the state ecological control has held 144 audits of observance of legislation in the field of environment preservation by enterprises and organizations of the republic. By results of audits there has been instituted legal proceedings on administrative offences, 117 orders on elimination of revealed infringements have been issued. There have been considered 65 cases on administrative offences which infringers were brought to administrative responsibility in the form of penalties to the total sum of 919 thousand rbl.

12 state objects of the regional level located in territory of the Republic of Karelia have undergone environmental impact assessments.

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management for the Republic of Karelia in the range of established powers within a year carried out state control and supervision in the sphere of nature management and environment preservation. In 2008 there have been held 243 audits of observance of the legislation requirements in the sphere of nature management and preservation environment. During the audit actions there have been revealed 512 infringements, 557 have been eliminated (in view of the vested remainder). There have been issued 174 orders, 344 have been executed. In total there have been to imposed 129 administrative penalties to the sum of 1452,8 thousand roubles, 1245,2 thousand roubles was collected (118 penalties).

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management for the Republic of Karelia implemented the following basic measures of the state control in the sphere of nature management:

1. Geological control over activity in the sphere of subsoil use. In 2008 there have been held 36 inspections of 43 objects of subsoil use, 88 infringements have been revealed, 78 of which were eliminated. By results of inspections materials were submitted for consideration of anticipatory termination of rights to use bowels for NPO IKIMSO Joint-Stock Company and Kivijärvi, Inc. License-free use of bowels (underground waters) is stopped for Industrial-Transportation Company, Ltd., Olonetsavtodor State Unitary Enterprise of the RK, sole proprietor Radevich V.E.

2. Water control: 85 inspections have been held, 216 infringements of legislation have been revealed, 71 orders have been issued, 56 penalties to the sum of 493,8 thousand roubles have been collected. Basic infringements of water legislation of the Russian Federation are: infringement of specially established management mode within the scope of water-security zones of water objects, their coastal protective strips and water-modular areas, license-free water use of superficial water objects, discharge of insufficiently treated sewage in water objects.

In 2008 there occurred 4 emergencies related to pollution of reservoirs with mineral oil and emergency discharge of sewage to Onego lake. Actiona for compensation of harm (damage) were brought against 4 enterprises of the republic to the sum of 125,9 million rbl.

3. State supervision of safety of hydraulic facilities: 9 inspections have been held, 14 infringements have been revealed, 4 orders have been issued, 51,5 thousand roubles on 2 penalties was collected.

4. State land control: 45 inspections of observance of requirements of land legislation have been held, 74 infringements have been revealed, 35 orders have been issued. The basic infringements of land legislation were: use of forest sites for timber warehouses, dredging without special sanctions to use them, infringement of mode of wood management in water-security zones and coastal strips of water objects, spoiling of woodland at forest exploitation.

5. State fire supervision: 13 inspections on 21 objects have been held . 53 infringements of Fire prevention rules in woods have been revealed, 29 orders have been issued. In 2008 there have been considered 27 cases of administrative offences.

6. State ecological control: control actions in the field of air protection and waste treatment have been held at 21 enterprises. In the sphere of air protection 20 inspections have been held, 21 infringements have been revealed, 11 orders have been issued, 7 regulations have been enforced.

In the field of waste treatment there has been held 24 inspections, 787 objects hacve been surveyed. 49 infringements have been revealed, 47 have been eliminated. Among infringements there should be noted absence of licenses to treat waste, infringement of storage conditions of waste of various classes of danger, absence of contracts with the specialized organizations to deliver production and consumption wastes, etc.

7. State control and supervision over organization and functioning of especially protected natural territories of federal value, in the field of protection and use of its flora and fauna objects, in the field of the forest control has revealed no infringements.

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management for the Republic of Karelia in the field of safe handling of pesticides and agrochemicals has undertaken control and supervising concerning 41 agricultural producers, 60 legal entities and sole proprietors, engaged in realization of packed pesticides and agrochemicals; 38 places of storage of pesticides and agrochemicals, 12 wholesale bases realizing agricultural products. 129 objects have been inspected total.

8. As a result of control and supervising it has been inspected 333 tons of pesticides and agrochemicals. 21 infringement have been revealed, 20 orders to eliminate infringements have been issued.

Sanitary-and-epidemiologic conditions in the Republic of Karelia is considered quite safe.

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare for the Republic of Karelia supervised observance of sanitary-and-hygienic requirements to maintenance of territories of urban and rural settlements. Sanitary condition of territories of 1503 objects was inspected. By results of inspections 57 orders to eliminate the revealed infringements have been issued, 71 reports on administrative offences have been drawn, 4 cases were submitted to judicial instances decide on bringing the guilty to administrative responsibility.

In 2008 Directorate of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Atomic Inspection for the Republic of Karelia has issued 129 sanctions to discharge polluting substances in the atmospherie. The weight of the resolved emissions within the scope of specifications has made 145,89 thousand tons, and 8,198 thousand tons within the scope of established limits. Thus, all the largest and average nature managers possess emission sanctions.

Weight of legal discharge of polluting substances in water objects within the scope of the established specifications makes 256 thousand tons a year, 0,74 thousand tons a year within the scope of established limits. 519 nature managers possess established waste location limits. Weight of located waste within the scope of the approved waste location limits makes 109,2 million tons a year.

In 2008 budget revenues of all levels from manure managers' payment for negative influence on the environment has made 248 million roubles. The plan on collection of payment for negative influence on the environment for 2008 was executed in full.