No ecological disaster in Dzerzhinsk: monitoring results

Ecological situation in Dzerzhinsk (second largest city in Nizhny Novgorod region, a large center of chemical and oil refining industries) is not critical.
The situation has been stabilized and improved since mid-1990s, even as industrial ventures opened new production facilities, REGNUM was informed at the Dzerzhinsk municipal administration?s press office.

The conclusions follow from data of ecological monitoring performed by Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation on request of deputy of the State Duma, deputy chairman of the Committee on Ecology Alexander Kasarikov.

Kasarikov officially asked Rospotrebnadzor to evaluate the sanitary-epidemiological situation in the cities of the Russian Federation listed among those in the zone of extreme ecological situation.

The agency in an official letter signed by chief sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation and head of the Federal Consumer Rights and Welfare Service Gennady Onishchenko says: "there are presently no grounds to relate to Dzerzhinsk as a zone of extreme ecological situation and ecological disaster."

According to the Dzerzhinsk municipal press office, ecological monitoring is constantly maintained in the city. It has revealed no deterioration of the situation in the period observed. In 2007, over $2mln rubles were assigned for the purchase of new laboratory equipment for the municipal Regional Center of Ecological Monitoring.

As REGNUM reported earlier, the US Blacksmith Institute in Oct 2006 listed Dzerzhinsk among 10 most polluted cities of the world.

The assessment of the US establishment raised controversy, giving reason to suspect, according to mayor Viktor Portnov, "an interest of foreign rivals of Dzerzhinsk industrial enterprises, and an attempt of local ?pseudo-ecologists? to work off money received from foreign charity funds."

In a week, Blacksmith Institute?s representatives officially refuted information on Dzerzhinsk?s being second most polluted cities of the world.

sections: Nature & Health, Region News
regions: Volga region