Rospotrebnadzor and "Electrozink" sign amicable agreement

The Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Agency for Consumer Supervision) and the "Electrozink" Factory, located in Vladikavkaz, have signed an amicable agreement. The Factory has agreed to carry out nature-protection measures.

Taimuraz Butaev, head of the Department of Rospotrebnadzor for North Ossetia, explained at the press conference on May 20 in Vladikavkaz why and how the amicable agreement in Essentuki was signed.

"We discussed the schedule of measures towards improvement of ecological situation at the "Electrozink" Factory, and when the enterprise administration agreed to carry out the measures, we decided to sign the amicable agreement," Mr Butaev said.

He also mentioned some of the points from the plan of nature-protection actions, namely, works to assess risks with establishing priority directions of environment preservation and health of the people who live within the zone of negative influence of the "Electrozink".

The plan also assumes actions to improve the calculated sanitary-protective zone: planting trees and bushes and asphalting the streets adjacent to the factory.

The next point of the programme is reclamation of land in the territory of the children's preschool establishments and schools located in the enterprise influence zone. In summer - daily watering of the streets inside the sanitary-protective zone is scheduled. These actions will be held in 2010-2013.

The schedule also includes studying soil for the content of heavy metal salts in the territories of the enterprise and sanitary-protective zone. Sampling points and periodicity should be coordinated with the Rospotrebnadzor Department.

In 2010-2012, a complex of measures will be developed towards rehabilitation of the health of the population that lives within the "Electrozink" affection zone. In total, the programme consists of 23 points.