Because of the pollution of the Kama river used for water abstraction, URALCHEM had to stop one of their big plants producing nitrogen fertilizers, “Nitrogen” in the Perm region. The source of the contamination may be one of the soda plants located upstream. Loss of a chemical company, as explained by Kommersant’s sources, will depend on the duration of the outage, but in any case will exceed $10 million, One of the largest fertilizer producers in Russia — URALCHEM — July 7 announced that it has stopped the plant bereznikovskogo “Nitrogen” (the Perm edge) due to the sharp excess of the content of calcium chloride in the river Kama, where the company takes water to produce. As explained in the company, due to the deterioration of water quality the danger arose of equipment failure and the threat of an emergency stop production. The river pollution is recorded, according to URALCHEM for 7 and 8 July.The company appealed to the Berezniki environmental Prosecutor’s office, the office of Rosprirodnadzor in the Perm region, West Urals Department of Rostechnadzor, EMERCOM in Perm region and the administration of Berezniki with a request to undertake immediate investigation of the incident. The prosecutors, “Kommersant” confirmed the check. “Together with representatives of the regional Department of Rospotrebnadzor and Rosprirodnadzor arrived at the scene, the environmental Prosecutor and the Prosecutor of Berezniki,”— said the Agency.The mayor of Berezniki Sergey Dyakov told “Kommersant” that aware of the situation and the contamination of already working employees environmental Prosecutor’s office. The source in the Perm Rostechnadzor reported that their experts have not yet visited the scene of the emergency.Berezniki Azot produces ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, sodium and potassium nitrate, urea-ammonium nitrate. The total amount of fertilizer production is about 2 million tons per year.But, he says, those responsible should call the authorities. We can talk about the adjacent manufacturers of calcium chloride “Soda-chlorate” (Berezniki) and “Solikamsk magnesium plant”, as well as the manufacturer of soda “Berezniki soda plant” (enters in “the Bashkir soda”). The source explains that the leak could be from the sludge dump of the enterprise “White sea” (included in the Berezniki soda plant) because of damage to the dam. In the listed companies on request “b” has not responded yet. At the same time Mr. Diakov doubts that the dam could be severely damaged as “it would be visible to the naked eye”.The source “b” familiar with the situation in OOO “Soda-chlorate”, says the company’s specialists noted the excess of MPC of harmful substances in the chamber for several years. “During the summer period recorded the growth of the ph-factor in 2015, the company appealed for this stand��do in the control organs, but the causes of this phenomenon have not been clarified,” says the source. According to him, in the end, “Soda-chlorate” found a technical solution to the problem raised above the surface of the water, the water intake point. “At the depth of the heavy concentration of more harmful substances, so as soon as that is fixed by growth, floating pumps begin to pick up the water above. I think “Nitrogen” will also solve this issue with technology. Looking for the source of contamination should engage supervisors,” he says.According to him, if the reasons are quickly installed and simple will not exceed 10 days, the loss of revenue will still be at least $13 million “If it’s stretched, the amount can be multiplied by two every ten days”,— he explained “Kommersant”. Mr. Momtsemlidze notes that from the moment when the river water quality returns to normal, “Nitrogen” will take five to six days to start production. According to his forecast, the perpetrators of pollution, regulators must find within one or two days, some time will need to eliminate the causes of pollution.Olga Matushenko; Dmitry Astakhov, Perm
