Environmental Situation

To arrange normal conditions for life of the population the Government of the Republic of Karelia pays much attention to issues of preservation of favorable ecological conditions in the republic.

In recent years environmental situation in the republic as a whole could have been assessed as sustainable. Negative ecological situations and processes were local and quite irregular.

The basic sources of atmospheric air pollution in Karelia are enterprises of pulp-and-paper, metallurgical, mining branches and fuel and energy complex. Most of atmospheric emissions, without taking into account motor transport, account for industrial centres of the republic - Kostomuksha, Kondopoga, Petrozavodsk, Segezha, Pitkäranta, Nadvoitsy urban-type settlement. The basic contribution to atmospheric air pollution (about 90% of all emissions) is brought by five large industrial enterprises: Karelsky Okatysh, Inc., Kondopoga, Inc., Segezha Pulp-and-Paper Plant, Inc., Pitkäranta Pupl Mill, Inc., Siberia-Urals Aluminium Compay, Inc. (the NAZ-SUAL Branch).

Emissions of polluting substances in the atmospheric air in 2009 have made 122,200 tons, including 28,200 tons of firm substances and 94,000 tons of gaseous material.

There has been observed 10.5% reduction of emissions of polluting substances from stationary sources due to decrease of emissions of liquid and gaseous substances, switching of boiler-houses and process equipment of enterprises of Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga town and region to natural gas, as well as performance of nature protection activities at the enterprises. Simultaneously, the quantity of emissions from motor transport has increased by 2,170 tons in comparison with the last year that worsens ecological conditions in towns, settlements and near motor transportation highways.

In total in Karelia in 2009 emission of harmful substances in the atmosphere was made by 8051 sources, including 5561 organized. Treatment facilities of enterprises have trapped and neutralized 166,300 tons (57.62%) of air pollutants, 102,500 tons of them were utilized.

In total concerning the basic kinds of economic activities it has been used 220,7 mln m³ of water. In comparison with the last year reduction of water use has made 5,56 mln m³ due to water consumption decrease in publishing, polygraphic activity and in chemical production. Use of water in metallurgical production has grown.

In systems of water reuse use of water has increased in comparison with the previous by 1,94 mln m³, and in systems of waste water reuse has lowered by 1,9 mln m³.

The volume of crude sewage discharged in open water intakes in the accounting year has decreased from 12,38 mln m³ to 11,45 mln m³ due to some of the industrial enterprises that did not work at full capacity. It is the lowest parameter for the last five years.

Effluents treated to standard quality were discharged in the volume of 34,35 mln m³. The volume of effluents treated to standard quality has grown, that is related to improvement of work of treatment facilities of VODOKANAL Management Company Municipal Unitary Enterprise of Sortavala and Kondopoga, Inc.

Volumes of taken water have decreased by 7,87 mln m³, that is related to reduction of water consumption by the largest enterprises of the republic - Pitkäranta Pupl Mill, Inc., Segezha Pulp-and-Paper Plant, Inc., Kondopoga, Inc.

In territory of the republic there operated 95 complexes of treatment facilities with total estimated capacity of 337,20 mln m³. Average loading of treatment facilities did not exceed 56%. Principal causes of unsatisfactory work of treatment facilities still remain poor technical condition, operation disturbance, insufficient hydraulic loading.

One of the sources of anthropogenous pollution of the environment is production wastes and consumption.

On the considered data the general wastes generation in the Republic of Karelia has made 95,6 mln tons, including 94,9 mln tons of waste of the 5th class of danger (almost harmless) which basic share accounts for wastes of the mining industry. The volume of generation of wastes of the 5th class of danger is 10% less than the level of the previous year.

The entire volume of annually generated residential solid waste (RSW) is located on dumping grounds of RSW for disposal. In the republic there is no system of selective gathering, processing and neutralization of RSW.

Due to absence of installations for demercurization of mercury-containing waste in territory of the republic gathering and export is carried out by specialized organizations licensed for processing of this kind of waste from St.-Petersburg, Cherepovets, etc.

In section of kinds of economic activities the largest volumes of waste occurs form extraction of iron ores - 92,7 mln tons (99,3%), extraction of other minerals - 1,333 mln tons, pulp-and-paper production - 0,602 mln tons, forestry and timber cutting - 0,150 mln tons, processing of wood - 0,281 mln tons, agriculture - 0,238 mln tons, transport and communication - 0,154 mln tons.

In territory of the republic there is a significant amount of unauthorized landfill site, however even organized dumping grounds of RSW do not meet ecological requirements.

There occured a decrease in total amount of generation of annual waste in comparison to 2008 which is related to decrease in volumes of production of Karelsky Okatysh, Inc.

With a view of creation of conditions for preservation of favorable ecological conditions in territory of the republic the regional target program Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Karelia for 2004-2010 is implemented. In 2009 within the scope of the Program the state contracts and agreements amounting to 1307,400 roubles have been financed.

In the accounting period the following activities have been financed:

• work on research of soil impurity in territory of mercury-containing waste disposal in Prionezhsky region
• carrying out of acaricide processings in territory of children's, summer, recreation camps in Prionezhsky, Kondopoga, Pudozh regions and the town of Sortavala. The total area of processing is 54,5 hectares
• carrying out of The March of Parks international ecological campaign in the especially protected natural territories of the republic - national parks of Vodlozersky and Paanajärvi, State nature reserves of Kivach and Kostomukshsky
• publication of the annual State report on the condition of environment in the Republic of Karelia in 2008 in the edition of 1000 copies
• organization of ecological camps and student practical training for 350 high school students of the republic in national parks of Vodlozersky, Paanajärvi, natural park of the Valaam archipelago
• inventory of especially protected natural territories of regional value located in territory of Prionezhsky, Kondopoga, Pryazha, Suojärvi, Medvezhiegorsk, Sortavala, Muezersky, Segezha, Olonets, Pitkäranta regions, and the town of Petrozavodsk.

Together with Administration of Prionezhsky metropolitan region there has been liquidated the unauthorized mercury-containing waste disposal, and also together with Administration of Petrozavodsk urban district the mercury-containing waste disposal tip in territory of the sanitary-protective zone of the city dump in Orzega (Prionezhsky region) is liquidated. For these actions on liquidation of mercury-containing waste from the budget of the Republic of Karelia it has been assigned 5,512,000 rubles.

In 2009 the Government of Karelia conducted systematic work on optimization of a network of especially protected natural territories of regional value. Actions on inventory of especially protected natural territories of regional value were completed. The complex (landscape) Syrovatka landscape reserve of regional value is established in Kem region.

Development of ecologo-economic substantiation of formation of the Ladoga Skerries national park has begun. Work on creation of a nature sanctuary Vottovaara in Muezersky region continued. Public hearings were held in the settlement of Cukkozero concerning creation of a nature sanctuary. Work was conducted for creation of Chukozero landscape reserve in Pudozh region.

In accordance with delegation of authority control over organization and functioning of especially protected natural territories of regional value of Pudozh, Olonets and Prionezhsky regions was carried out.

Within a year work on implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan was conducted, by the order of the Government of the Republic of Karelia as of November 26, 2009 477r-P there has been established a working group.

Work on creation of the steering committee for preparation and carrying out of Days of Protection against Environmental Threat in territory of the Republic of Karelia was conducted, the steering committee is established.

In 2009 there have been held 135 actions of the state ecological control, of them 31 were scheduled inspections and 104 were off-schedule inspections on observance of the legislation in the field of environment preservation and nature protection requirements (in the field of atmospheric air protection, treatment of production and consumption wastes, control of payment for negative influence on the environment) by business entities.

By results of the inspections for the accounting period business entities were issued 89 orders to eliminate the revealed violations of the law in the field of environment preservation and nature protection requirements, and there have been drawn 61 reports of administrative law violation of the article 8.2, part 1 of the article 8.21, of the article 8.41, part 1of the article 19.5, of the article 19.7 of the Administrative Offences Code of the Russian Federation.

Justices of the Peace of the Republic of Karelia, judges of Petrozavodsk city court, judges of courts of regions of the Republic of Karelia imposed to violators administrative penalties amounting to 1,359,000 rubles.

In 2009 officials have issued 101 air emission permits for stationary sources. Five nature managers of the Republic of Karelia were refused to be issued permits.

For carrying out of the state ecological examination of objects of the regional level 13 complete sets of documents have been obtained, of them on 6 objects there have been issued positive conclusions, on 3 - negative, 2 complete sets of materials are not objects of the state ecological examination of the regional level, 1 complete set is returned to the customer as requiring improvement due to incompleteness and 1 complete set of the design documentation is withdrawn by the customer.

In 2009 Byelomorsk Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management has issued 88 air emission permits. The weight of the resolved emissions within the scope of specifications has made 179,300 tons, thus all the largest and average nature managers have emission permits.

In territory of Karelia there have been registered 2166 objects of negative influence on the environment, including in 2009 there have been registered 299 objects. Receipt of payment for negative influence on the environment in budgets of levels has made all 213,5 mln rubles. The annual plan of collection of payments for negative influence on the environment is performed.

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management for the Republic of Karelia carries out the state control and supervision of observance of the legislation in the field of preservation of the environment and rational nature management by nature managers. In 2009 127 inspections have been held, 162 business entities and 2512 objects of control were inspected. The plan of control and supervision activities is performed in full. In 2009 during carrying out of control actions there have been revealed 370 infringements, there have been issued 112 orders to eliminate the revealed violations. Total it has been imposed 180 administrative penalties amounting to 2823,600 rubles., there have been exacted 140 penalties amounting to 1783,600 rubles.

On types of inspection:

• within the scope of implementation of the state control over use and protection of water objects there have been held 80 inspections. 71 water-users, 109 sites of water-security zones of water objects and coastal protecting strips have been inspected. There have been revealed 157 violations in the sphere of water use, 155 have been eliminated. 43 orders have been issued, in consideration of previously issued it has been compiled 79. There have been imposed 74 administrative penalties amounting to 1045,100 rubles, there have been exacted 63 penalties amounting to 709,600 rubles. The basic violations of the water legislation are violations of specially established managing regime within the limits of water-security zones of water objects, their coastal protecting strips and drainage regions, water use without documents which provide the right to use the water object, absence of water stocktaking with tools and devices
• within the scope of implementation of the state control and supervision of geological studying, rational use and protection of bowels there have been held 28 control and supervision actions, 30 objects of subsurface resources management have been inspected, 27 of them are of federal level of control. There have been revealed 81 violations, 79 have been eliminated. There have been imposed 44 administrative penalties amounting to 737,000 rubles. There have been exacted 26 penalties amounting to 308,000 rubles.
• within the scope of implementation of the state control of land-laws there have been held 91 inspections of observance of requirements of land-laws on 162 objects of the control. There have been revealed 34 violations, 22 have been eliminated, 14 orders to eliminate the revealed infringements have been issued, 10 were complied. There have been imposed 10 administrative penalties amounting to 115,000 rubles, in consideration of previously imposed there have been exacted 12 penalties amounting to 119,000 rubles. The basic infringements of the land-laws were: unauthorized occupation of land in water-security zones, littering, non-observance of norms of the nature protection legislation at use of the ground areas
• within the scope of implementation of the state control over protection of atmospheric air there have been held 26 inspections, 931 objects of business entities have been surveyed. 34 infringements of environmental protection legislation have been revealed, 27 have been eliminated. 15 orders to eliminate the revealed infringements have been issued, 13 were complied. There have been imposed 11 administrative penalties amounting to 190,000 rubles, there have been exacted 8 penalties amounting to 106,000 rubles.
• within the scope of implementation of the state control of treatment of production and consumption wastes there have been held 37 inspections, 1020 objects of economic and other activity have been inspected. There have been revealed 57 violations, 42 have been eliminated. 20 orders to eliminate the revealed infringements have been issued, 18 were complied. There have been imposed 41 penalties amounting to 736,500 rubles. There have been exacted 31 penalties amounting to 541,000 rubles.

Department of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Nature Management for the Republic of Karelia conducted activities on supervision of observance of sanitary-and-hygienic requirements on maintenance of territories of town and rural settlements. Inspections of sanitary condition of territories of 808 objects have been accomplished. On results of inspections there have been issued 63 orders on elimination of revealed infringements, 93 reports on administrative infractions have been drawn, 9 cases were forwarded to judicial instances for solution of the issue on penalizing the guilty under the administrative law.

On results of supervision of radiation safety radiation exposure of the population due to natural and technogenic sources of ionizing radiation, radiology and nuclear medical procedures do not exceed average values of radiation dose of inhabitants of the Russian Federation.

On results of the radiation and hygienic certification radiation conditions in territory of the Republic of Karelia are evaluated as satisfactory. No radiation accidents were registered in territory of the republic.

Protection of water biological resources on water objects of the Republic of Karelia in 2009 was carried out by the department of state control, supervision and fishery protection for the Republic of Karelia of the North-West Territorial Department of the Federal Agency of Fishery (hereinafter the Department).

In 2009 the Department has held 560 control actions, including 514 fishery protection inspections and 46 inspections of enterprises. On the facts of the revealed violations during the organized control actions there have been drawn 2458 reports on administrative infractions. Penalties amounting to 2226,100 rubles have been imposed, of which 1592,100 rubles (71%) was recovered. Actions for damage have been brought amounting to 154,460 rubles, 130,800 rubles (84%) was exacted, 672 kg of fish caught illegally and 4970 fishing gears were confiscated. Efficiency of fishery protection inspections makes about 4,8 report per inspection, on the average every inspector draws about 50 reports.

In 2009 specialists of the Department have held 43 scheduled inspections of enterprises and 3 unscheduled, coordinated with the Office of Public Prosecutor on the basis of sub-paragraph b of the paragraph 2 of the part 2 of the article 10 of the Federal Law 294-FZ as of December 26, 2008. As a result of the inspections on the facts of the revealed violations there have been issued 17 orders to eliminate the revealed violations, 10 reports of administrative offences have been drawn. Violators were imposed penalties amounting to 44,300 rubles (59% of which is recovered). Decrease in quantity of the inspections in 2009 compared to 2008 is caused by toughening of requirements of the Federal Law 294-FZ as of December 26, 2008 Concerning protection of rights of legal persons and individual entrepreneurs at realization of the state control (supervision) and municipal control regarding organization and carrying out of inspections.

In 2009 work on revealing crimes categorized according to the article 256 of the criminal code of the Russian Federation as a result of which 15 criminal cases have been raised, including 8 during joint inspections with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Karelia and 7 with Karelian interdistrict nature protection Office of Public Prosecutor.

Regarding precautionary supervision of preservation of water bioresources and their environment the Department considered documentation proving placement of economic and other objects, as well as introduction of the technological processes influencing condition of water bioresources and their environment. In total for coordination the Department has received 1037 complete sets of materials, of them 724 were coordinated and 313 were rejected due to discrepancy to requirements of fishery protection legislation.

In 2009 the Department has issued sanctions to individual entrepreneurs and legal persons for realization of industrial fishery, fishery in the research purposes and the purposes of reproduction, with a view of organization of amateur and sports fishing. Amendments were made to 170 sanctions due to change of persons responsible for catch or applied fighing gears, additional allotment of quotas. Changes were brought the issued sanctions upon the application of individual entrepreneurs or legal persons.

The Department carries out constant control of development of the allocated quotas and recommended volumes of extraction of water biological resources in different purposes of using by individual businessmen and legal persons. In 2009 it has been revealed 5 violations by fisheries enterprises, 4 violators have been penalized under administrative law for not granting information on extraction (catch) of water bioresources, 1 - for extraction (catch) of kinds of the water bioresources which have been not specified in the sanction. On all infringers penalties were imposed which have been collected completely.

The Department of the Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision for the Republic of Karelia, Archangelsk area and Nenets autonomous region together with veterinary service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fish Industry and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia conducts veterinary and sanitary inspections of fish-breeding farms of the republic and inspection of quarantine premises at import of import breeding cattle to the republic.

At inspection of quarantine premises for keep of cattle the main questions of sanitary-ecological condition are: prevention of distribution of illnesses common general for humans and animals, recycling of biological waste, pollution of farmland with helminth at use of manure.

With a view of control of quality and safety of animal products regular inspections ate held at the enterprises producing, storing and selling production under control.

Due to occurrence of centers of African swine fever in territory of the Russian Federation control over observance of rules of import of pig-breeding production, forages for animals and other kinds of production of animal industries by any kinds of transport, including luggage and hand luggage of passengers is toughened.

Constant control of observance of the order of gathering, recycling and destruction of biological waste defined by current legislative and statutory acts was conducted. During inspections there have been revealed thrown burial grounds for animal refuse and biothermal holes, measures are taken on specification of their accessory and reduction of holes conformity with the established requirements. This work in regions of the republic is carried out together with bodies of the Office of Public Prosecutor.

In pursuance of the article 12 of the Federal Law 99-FZ as of July 15, 2000 Concerning the Quarantine of Plants in 2009 the Department held control quarantine phytosanitary examinations as a result of which the new centers of quarantine harmful organisms were revealed. On the ground of the report of the Department the Government of the Republic of Karelia has ordered to put quarantines within the established quarantine phytosanitary zones.

Control and supervising actions in the field of safe handling of pesticides and agricultural chemicals have been held; 25 places of storage of pesticides and agricultural chemicals, 12 wholesale bases selling agricultural production were inspected. Total 91 objects have been inspected.

As a result of control and supervising activity 284,98 tons of pesticides and agricultural chemicals were inspected. 18 violations have been revealed, 12 orders to eliminate infringements have been issued. By results of proceedings in a case of administrative violations penalties were imposed amounting to 43,000 rubles, in accordance with the established procedure before the end of the year there have been recovered 39,000 rubles of punitive sanctions (90.6%).

Work was performed for revealing of unsuitable and (or) forbidden pesticides at all stages of their turnover, provision of chemical safety at storage of pesticides which have become unfit for use or forbidden and their export from the zone of responsibility of the Department.

In 2009 the state inspectors of the Department have held 119 inspections of observance the land-law. Inspections captured 6574,8 hectares of agricultural land, including 17 424 hectares of drained land. By results of inspections 66 infringements of the land-law on the area of 62,96 hectares have been revealed. Basically, it is infringements the responsibility for which is stipulated by the article 8.8 of the Administrative Offences Code of the Russian Federation (misuse of land, disuse of land intended for agricultural production, or housing or other construction, default of obligatory actions on improvement of land protection of soils).

Inspections were held in 6 regions of the republic - Olonets, Prionezhsky, Pitkäranta, Pryazha, Sortavala, Lahdenpohja.

55 legal persons, officials and citizens were penalized under administrative law. In 2009 penalties have been imposed amounting to 106,800 rubles.

Of 66 revealed infringements of the land-law 65% account for infringements on default of obligatory actions on improvement of land and prevention of processes worsening qualitative condition of land.