Interfax reported that OJSC Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company is investing RUB 350.3 million in OJSC Electrozinc environmental projects this year which would be a 40% increase on the RUB 256.4 million invested last year.

One of the projects involves waste-gas piping at the company's sulphuric acid shop. Construction began on June 1. The project cost is RUB 123 million and it is slated for completion at the end of next year.

It has been reported that more than two hundred people attended a permitted gathering to protest against Electrozinc operations in April this year. In October of 2009, Electrozinc, the largest metals plant in Northern Ossetia, released sulphuric wastes that exceeded the allowed amount of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere by 900%.

Russia Federal Service for Health and Consumer Rights filed suit with the republic arbitration court, accusing Electrozinc of violating sanitary regulations, emissions standards and creating an unfavourable sanitary epidemiological situation and that the plant did not create a safety zone with a radius of one kilometer. That posed a danger to people health was the charge.

In March of 2010, the parties struck an amicable agreement under which the plant was to conduct a technical upgrade to ensure environmental safety and to carry out a series of environmental measures and track the health of those living in neighboring regions.

Electrozinc became a part of UMMC in late 2003. Its production capacity is 110,000 tonnes of commercial zinc per year. UMMC has a 77.26% stake in the company charter capital.

Source - Interfax

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