Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Norilsk Nickel to respond to the Blacksmith Institute
Report “The World's Worst Polluted Places: The Top Ten of the Dirty Thirty”. Norilsk Nickel sent the
following documents:
U.S. Blacksmith Institute Releases Annual List of Dirtiest Places in World
Andrey Kozenko, Marina Chistyakova, Yuliya Suhonina, Andrey 454 words
18 September 2007
Bizekon-Russica Izvestia (Russia)(c) 2007 Russica-Izvestia Information Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
The U.S. ecological organization Blacksmith Institute released its annual list of the ten dirtiest
places in the world. As usual, the Russian cities of Norilsk Nickel and Dzerzhinsk are on the list
and, as usual, city officials there reacted sharply to this renewed attention.
Chernobyl, Ukraine; Sumgait, Azerbaijan; Linfen and Tianying, China; Sukinda and Vapi, India;
La Oroya, Peru; and Kabwe, Zambia, share the list with the Russian cities. Rudnaya Pristan,
Maritime Territory, which was on the institute's 2006 list, is not present in 2007.
The number of people endangered, the hazardousness of the substances involved and their
health effects are considered in the compilation of the list. According to the organization 20
percent of deaths in the cities in the top ten list are caused by the effects of pollution.
Norilsk, a center of nickel mining and heavy metals processing, is polluted with particulates,
sulfur dioxide, heavy metals, phenols and hydrogen sulfide. "It is getting easier to breathe in
Norilsk every year," city council member Leonid Solomakha pointed out, however. Elena
Kovaleva, deputy public relations director of Norilsk Nickel, around which the city was founded,
stated that "Norilsk is not a garden city yet, and won't be one until 2015, when our ecological
program is implemented". Blacksmith Institute noted Norilsk Nickel's cooperation with the
organization and its ecological program with approval.
According to the institute, progress is already perceptible. Dzerzhinsk is one of the centers of
the Russian chemicals industry (and chemical weapons industry in Soviet times). Improperly
stored chemical wastes have led to pollution from Sari and VX gases, phenol, lead and a
number of other substances. Acting Mayor of Dzerzhinsk Alexey Khilov stated, echoing the
response of city officials last year, that the ecologist's report was made "on order". "If we found
out who ordered it, we would file suit," Khilov said. He suspected that someone "does not like it
that Dzerzhinsk is being considered as one of the possible location for production facilities for
Peugeot Citroen and the Finnish company Stora Enso intends to invest USD 1.5-2 billion in
paper production".
Khilov noted that Blacksmith Institute representatives did not conduct research in the city. An
official institute spokesman said that its representatives were not allowed into the city.
Oleg Mitvol, deputy director of Rosprirodnadzor, the federal environmental watchdog, noted that
"It is impossible to deny the ecological problems in Norilsk and Dzerzhinsk". Greenpeace
Russia representative Alexey Kiselev cast doubt on any improvements in Rudnaya Pristan and
mentioned Monchegorsk and Miass as other Russian cities with critical ecological situations.
Blacksmith Institute to exclude Norilsk from the list of the world’s top ten most polluted
cities in 2009 (PRIME-TASS 14 Sept. 2007)
International Blacksmith Institute, an organization involved in environmental studies and relief
efforts, expects Norilsk to be excluded from the list of the world’s top ten most polluted cities,
says Vladimir Kuznetsov, the Institute representative in Russia.
According to Kuznetsov, major positive changes have occurred in the city of Norilsk, where
production operations of Norilsk Nickel Company are the main source of pollution. “The
Company reduces air pollutant emissions by 50 thousand tons annually. After the Nickel Plant
removal beyond city limits in 2009, Norilsk will no longer remain in the top ten. Our data
suggest that by 2015 the company will reduce emissions to maximum allowable limits (MAL)
thus ensuring the city is really clean.”
Blacksmith Institute develops and implements solutions for cities where harmful pollutants affect
local population. For two years the Institute has drawn up the list of the world’s top ten most
polluted cities that pose severe environmental threats.
According to previous announcements, MMC Norilsk Nickel implements a comprehensive
program aimed at reducing the impact of its production operations on the environment. The
environmental program is incorporated in MMC Norilsk Nickel’s long-term development
strategy. The program envisages substantial reduction of industrial pollution of air and water,
and improvement of waste disposal operations. In order to achieve the goal MMC Norilsk Nickel
is upgrading the existing production facilities, most of which were built in the 1930-s and 1940-s
with no regard to environmental safety.
MMC Norilsk Nickel’s environmental program covers the time span of 2004 – 2015, and its
estimated cost amounts to RUB 36 bln (about 1 bln Euros).
MMC Norilsk Nickel is one of the world’s major players in base and precious metals production,
and accounts for 20% of nickel, more than 10% of cobalt and 3% of copper produced globally.
Domestically, the company supplies about 96% of the country’s nickel, 55% of copper and 95%
of cobalt.
AN OPEN LETTER
TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE BLACKSMITH INSTITUTE,
Mr RICHARD FULLER
NORILSK NICKEL WILL HAVE SPENT OVER 1 BILLION EUROS
ON RESOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BY 2015
Dear Mr Fuller,
We have read, with great interest, the report published by the Blacksmith Institute concerning the
most polluted cities in the world, which mentions the city of Norilsk, and we cannot help but
express our fundamental disagreement with a number of the conclusions you have reached and
the comments you have made. We are moved to do this by our desire to defend the reputation of
the Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel from tendentious assertions and by our
respect for the people who live in Norilsk and have a genuine love of the city.
At the same time, we would like to take the opportunity to inform you of Norilsk Nickel’s
environmental activities, as the information referred to in the report is seriously out of date.
This, we feel, is necessary in order to present an objective picture instead of the “horror story”
that you mention with regard to Norilsk.
As you may be aware, a number of problems of the Russian industry have been the result and the
heritage of the soviet approach to industrial activity, when the majority of large-scale industrial
enterprises were the central focus of populated areas, and the industrial facilities themselves were
located within the city boundaries. More often than not, such facilities were constructed without
any concern for environmental protection. In those days the slogan was “Production at any
cost!”
Today, the largest Russian corporations, such as Norilsk Nickel, are guided by international
standards in the area of ecology, and are investing very heavily in making serious improvements
to their performance regarding the environment. In fact, by 2015, Norilsk Nickel will have spent
over 1 billion Euros on resolving environmental issues, which we expect to result in a significant
improvement in the environmental situation. The achievement of such results demands time and
very large amounts of money, since this is, first and foremost, connected with the replacement of
existing technology and the reconstruction of production facilities.
Noticeable improvements have been made in the course of the last 10 years, including a 25 per
cent reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions (our main industrial waste) per tonne of production.
Independent monitoring has already shown examples of the regeneration of nature in the areas in
which we operate.
In your commentary on the report, you also speak of “no pollution control”. We trust you will
see that this is untrue. The company’s environmental management system is certified in
accordance with ISO 14001:2004. Norilsk Nickel keeps a very close watch on atmospheric
conditions within the city boundaries, and if limits are exceeded then emissions are reduced by
reducing the scale of operation in the smelting facilities.
Besides, Norilsk Nickel also conducts special health – promotion programmes and rest and
recuperation at sanatoria and resorts. In 2005 around 30 per cent of workers and members of
their families were able to take advantage of subsidised stays at such facilities. The average
leave for a citizen of Norilsk is between 60 and 90 days. We pay particular attention to the
monitoring and maintenance of the health of children, who undergo a three-month course of rest
and recuperation at sanatoria and resorts every year. Our observations show that this has led to
an improvement in children’s health.
We have no doubt as to the need for a report of this kind being prepared, but believe that it is
wrong that it should contain such sensationalism. Facts and figures concerning the levels of
pollution in the Russian cities that the report mentions are freely available and have been
reported frequently in the Russian media. The improvement of environmental conditions is
something to pay attention to on a continuous basis.
Was the preparation of this report stimulated by genuine concerns about the state of the
environment and people’s health, or were there other motives at work? If your aim was to attract
attention, then you have achieved that aim – you are now known in Russia. If your aim was to
create a “horror story”, then you have done even better. The recipe is a well-known one – just
paint everything in dark colours.
Nevertheless, I do appreciate your report for another opportunity to inform about our work on
improving the environmental situation in Norilsk city.
Should you genuinely wish to obtain full and objective information concerning Norilsk Nickel’s
activities with regard to the environment you are welcome to contact us, obtain the necessary
information from our website, or visit Norilsk city.
Sergey Chernitsyn,
Director of PR Department
MMC Norilsk Nickel
October 24, 2006
The MMC Norilsk Nickel Press Service
Tel:
(+7) 495 797 8294
Fax
(+7) 495 786 8394
E-mail:
uosmail@nornik.ru
www.nornik.ru
Protecting environment and conserving natural resources
5.1 Environmental policy and management system
Environmental priorities
The Company sets environmentally safe production and protection of the environment as top
priorities. And we recognize the magnitude of challenges in this field.
The complexity and scope of the environmental problems stem from the Soviet approach to
industry, under which production facilities were built without due consideration for
environmental protection.
The Company’s Production Development Strategy through 2015 (reconfirmed in its Strategy
through 2020) sets environmental safety improvement, air emissions and wastewater discharge
reduction aimed at environmental legislation compliance, as one of the long-term objective of the
Company’s business.
Pursuant to the Environmental policy approved of by the Company’s board, the top
environmental protection priorities are as follows:

Gradual air emissions reduction, including sulfur dioxide and solid substances;

Gradual reduction of wastewater discharge into rivers, lakes, etc.;

Arrangement of waste disposal zones.
The Company also develops energy efficiency programs, promote alternative energy
and biodiversity in the regions where it operates.
Environmental management system
The Integrated Quality Control and Environmental Management System (IQCEMS) was
introduced and certified at the Head office. The first supervisory audit was carried out by
a certification body in 2006. Preliminary work was conducted at the Polar Division for
ISQCEM certification in 2007. ISQCEM implementation and certification is scheduled for
the Company’s other business units during 2007-2008.
The Company is implementing its Environmental Management Program (2005-2007),
which is aimed at achieving environmental goals and objectives.
The development of separate standards for maximum permissible emissions (MPE),
maximum permissible discharges (MPD), waste generation and disposal (WGD) and
limits for air emissions, water intake, wastewater discharge, and waste disposal is
required for the new companies due to the restructuring of the Company and the spinoff of various subdivisions as separate legal entities in 2006 (for more details, please
see Section ’About Norilsk Nickel Company’). Some of the applicable water-use
licenses should be reissued in favor of the spun-off entities. These efforts required
revision of the Company’s working water-use, air protection and production waste
handling permits.
The Company’s environmental risks associate mainly with the necessity to comply with
environmental law and also with the magnitude of the problem of sulfur dioxide
emissions reduction, which requires new technological solutions for sulfur disposal and
involves high costs.
Organizational structure of environmental management
The environmental department at MMC Norilsk Nickel’s Head office was established in
2003 as the Environmental Use and Protection Department. In 2005, it was reorganized
as the Department for Corporate Environmental Regulation.
The Department’s main objective is to ensure that the Company’s industry-based
complexes and production units operate in accordance with environmental law and
ISQCEM.
The Department identifies the main areas of the corporate Environmental policy,
coordinates implementation and maintenance of the Company’s environmental
management system and engages with governmental environmental agencies, obtains
environmental permits, and cooperates with non-governmental environmental
organizations and the environmental committees of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers).
At the Polar Division environmental management is handled by the Industrial
Environmental Protection Department, which includes the Standardization and
Licensing Division (consisting of the Atmospheric Bureau, the Hydrosphere Bureau, and
the Waste Handling Bureau), the Environmental Management Division, and the
Environmental Use Economics Division.
An Environmental Protection Division was organized at NTEC, including the Air protection
Bureau, the Water discharge and Waste Bureau.
Environmental training
In order to improve staff competence in environmental protection and to comply with
environmental protection law in 2006 the Company’s personnel continued to receive trainings at
annual corporate seminars and at training modules on air protection, sound water use and
protection and waste management.
To upgrade the environmental training system for staff and ensure maximum coverage of the
Company’s regional business units, subsidiaries and associated companies, a corporate workshop
on environmental protection safety was organized in Norilsk for representatives of local
environmental protection and regulatory authorities, the governments of Norilsk and the Taimyr
Autonomous Area, and scientific organizations and NGOs from Norilsk, St. Petersburg and
Moscow.
Environmental expenditures
Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type (in RUR mln)
s/r
No. Type of expenditure, EN30
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
1
Current environmental expenditures*
5,620.3
5,542.7
5,989.5
6,648.0
3
Environmental investments
1,521.2
3,090.2
3,840.6
938.4
*According to the state statistical reports on environmental protection 4-os
Relative decrease in environmental investments in 2006 is conditioned by the fact that a lot of design
and exploration, research and development works were executed against the order of the Company.
Results of the works will provide the basis for realization of perspective large-scale environmental
protection projects in the coming years.
According to the state statistical reports on environmental protection 4-os the current
environmental expenditures of NTEC in 2006 were 74 438,7 ths. RUR and environmental
investments were 19 792.2 ths. RUR.
Awards
The Company’s environmental performance is widely respected, and in 2006 at the 2nd
All-Russian Conference on New Priorities in National Environmental Policy, MMC
Norilsk Nickel was recognized as the Environmental Protection Leader in Russia for
active environmental protection and management to ensure steady development of the
Russian economy and improve the quality of life and public health and the
environmental safety of the country; seven Company employees received the Russian
Environmental Shield award.
5.2 Environmental impact and performance
Sulfur dioxide emissions
The key problem the Company faces with respect to air pollution is the need to
gradually reduce its emissions of sulfur dioxide which is the main air pollutant (more
than 97%). The complexity of the problem solution is related to the geographic
remoteness of Norilsk from developed regions of Russia, therefore, ineffective
application of traditional technologies of sulfur dioxide utilization leading to formation of
sulfuric aid used around the world.
The Company’s Action Plan for the Gradual Reduction of Emissions through 2015
envisages a series of measures, including closure of the agglomeration and smelting
workshops at the Nickel Plant, production reconstruction of the Nadezhdinsky Metals
modernization or reconstruction of sulfur disposal facilities at the Nadezhdinsky Metals
Factory and the Polar Division’s Copper Plant etc. In 2006, as part of the plan,
technological lines No.1 and No.2 for the production of elementary sulfur using off
gasses at the Copper Plant were modernized.
By increasing sulfur production using off gases, the Copper Plant cut its sulfur dioxide
emissions by 0.84% y-o-y in 2006.
The Company also initiated a dialogue with stakeholders on this issue. In April 2006, the
Russian Academy of Sciences’ presidium reviewed the issue Norilsk Nickel’s
Environmental Problems and Possible Solutions. It was decided to develop in 2007
Scientific and Technical Program intended to ensure environmentally, economically and
socially balanced gradual reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions in Norilsk to maximum
allowable levels. Updated information about the Program is available at the website at
http://www.rannoreko.ru.
Solid substances emissions
As a result of efforts aimed at reducing dust emissions at Polar Division units (the Nickel
and Copper Plants, Nadezhdinsky Metallurgical Plant, Production Association of
Enrichment Plants, etc.), emissions of solid substances fell 12.9% last year compared to
2005.
As a result of measures taken aggregate gross emissions of pollutants from the Company’s
divisions fell 1.2% in 2006 compared to 2005.
Significant air emissions by type and weight
EN20 (000 tons)
Air emissions, incl.
Sulfur dioxide
Solid substances
2003
2004
2005
2006
2,020.3
2,068.0
2,011.3
1,987.2
1,960.0
2,011.1
1,955.3
1,938.8
13.9
13.1
12.4
10.8
Control of air emissions under adverse weather conditions
In Norilsk the Company has introduced a network of observation sites monitoring air quality in
order to control emissions under adverse weather conditions (atmospheric inversion, still air
etc.), as well as measures to reduce emissions that include limiting the processing of raw
materials with high sulfur content, and eliminating equipment (agglomerators, furnaces,
converters, etc.). Depending on the extent of the adverse nature of weather conditions, three
modes of emission reduction are used prior to full shutdown: Mode I (15%-20% efficiency),
Mode II (20%-40% efficiency), and Mode III (40%-60% efficiency).
The maximum recorded sulfur dioxide concentrations fell in 2006 1.6 times compared to 2005,
2.6 times – to 2004, 3.5 times - to 2003.
The annual average atmospheric concentration of sulfur dioxide in 2005-2006 was at the
maximum allowable level (0.5 mg/Nm3) for populated areas.
Greenhouse gas emissions
In 2006 greenhouse gas emissions inventory was launched by the Company. Inventory covers
production facilities located in Norilsk Industrial Region.
Water Resource Use
The Company has developed and is implementing environmental actions aimed at
rational water resource management and the avoidance of pollution.
Water for household and industrial use (including drinking water) is collected from the
surface of rivers and lakes (Norilsk River, Kharaelakh Reservoir, Dudinka River, Yenisei
River, Lake Podkamennoye, and Lake Samsonkino), and from underground sources
(Talnakh, Ergalakhsk, and Ambarninsk underground water fields).
Waste-waters are discharged into the Enisei River basin and the Norilo/Pyasinskaya
water system.
In order to gradually reduce its waste-water discharges, the Polar Division is
implementing an action plan to achieve maximum permissible discharges (MPD)
standards over 2006-2015. Key elements of the plan include the use of modern wastewater treatment technologies, increased water-supply recirculation, modernization of
cooling towers, construction of treatment facilities, modernization of facilities for treating
household and drinking water, liquidation of water discharge facilities, and installation of
water meters.
In 2006, nine projects for treating household, drinking, and production waste-water were
developed for Company facilities, including treatment plants for mine waters at the
Anhydrite and Zapolyarny Zub Mountain sites. Progress was made on treatment facilities
and sewerage networks at Norilsk Railway, ‘Stroycomplect’ Plant and Norilskremont.
In 2006, business units of the Polar Division and Norilskenergo were equipped with
water consumption and discharge meters.
In 2006, the volume of water collected for industrial and household needs (incl. drinking
water) fell 1.15% y-o-y, total water-discharge volume dropped 8.21%, and the weight of
pollutants discharged with waste water declined 11.37%.
Total water withdrawal by source
EN8
2003
2004
2005
2006
Total withdrawal, ‘000 cubic meters,
incl.:
299,00
295,000
281,000
277,770
Surface waters (marshes, rivers,
lakes)
261,500
256,880
245,410
244,570
Underground waters
37,700
37,620
35,620
33,200
-
-
-
-
2003
2004
2005
2006
1,037,002
995,449
991,646
974,639
71.1
70.4
71.7
71.5
2003
2004
2005
2006
185,300
187,200
185,200
170,000
Inadequately treated
45,900
47,100
46,000
34,400
Polluted, untreated
37,500
39,900
39,800
34,300
Standard pure (untreated)
101,900
100,200
100,000
101,300
Municipal and other water supply
systems
Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused
EN10
Total volume of water recycled and
reused, 000 cubic meters
Share in total water intake (water
turnover), %
Total water discharge by quality and destination
EN21 (000 cubic meters)
Water discharge, incl.:
Pollutants discharge as part of waste-water
2003 г.
Pollutants weight as part of wastewater, 000 tons
71.40
2004 г.
2005 г.
2006 г.
73.40
66.40
58.85
Waste management
Notwithstanding that more than 90% of the Company’s waste is considered to be non-hazardous
waste (5th hazard class), one of the Company’s environmental goals is a further decrease of
development pressure of waste disposal on the environment.
EN22 (000 tons)
2003
2004
2005
2006
30,385.8
31,471.5
32,819.9
33,089.4
Waste use and processing at own
production facilities
4,763
7,705.9
10,126.6
19,415.4
Transfer to other companies for use
101,7
70.1
30.6
29.9
25,599.7
2,4421.8
22,950.8
13,792.1
Waste generation
Placement at own facilities
Measures the Company uses to gradually reduce its waste generation and dumping include:

A comprehensive project to solve the problem of enrichment waste storage by
building/modernizing tailing dumps and using alternative storage methods.

Expansion of the range and volume of applications for key large-tonnage production waste:

o
Overburden and hard rock;
o
Mine refuse;
o
Waste metallurgical slag.
Expansion of the range and volume of applications and control of key consumption waste:
o
Used tires and conveyor belts;
o
Construction waste (broken reinforced concrete, bricks etc.);
o
Silt and filter cake slump;
o
Scavenge oil, wood-processing waste, etc.

Improvement of the waste generation, storage and disposal monitoring system.
In 2006, the Company took additional steps to reduce the negative environmental
impact of its production waste via safe storage of ore enrichment waste and preventing
pollutants from entering the soil and water. Projects for these purposes include:

Expansion of the Lebyazhie tailings dump; a second storage facility for tailings generated at
the Norilsk and Talnakh enrichment plants;

Reconstruction of the Lebyazhie tailings dump by raising dam height to +90.0m;

Upgrading the Industrial dump No. 1 at the Nickel Works’ chlorine/cobalt unit.
By increasing the scope of waste use and disposal, the Company has been gradually reducing the
total volume of stored waste year-by-year.
Power savings and alternative sources of energy
The Company devotes considerable attention to initiatives aimed at incorporating power-saving
goods and services or those that rely in renewable energy, thereby reducing overall energy
consumption, which in turn helps the Company cut costs.
Over the last five years, the Company has supported domestic research on hydrogen power and
fuels. In 2003, MMC Norilsk Nickel signed an agreement with the Russian Academy of Sciences
for financing development of this field. The scope of funding for 2003-2006 was USD120mn,
and the project has moved to the commercialization stage and the development of pilot and mass
production technologies. In 2005, Norilsk Nickel established the New Energy Projects company
to develop pilot commercial technologies for production of fuel elements and hydrogen
electrochemical generators to use them.
The organizational and technical efforts undertaken in 2003/2006 to save fuel and energy,
incentivise personnel, and improve the efficiency of hydro power plants has allowed the
Company to reduce the fuel consumption for electricity release from 281.6 g/kWh in 2003 to
278.1 g/kWh in 2006 (1.2%), replace NTEC gas-based electricity with hydro in the amount of
381,600 GJ, which is equivalent to reducing fuel consumption by 30,316 tons of coal equivalent,
or 2.6% compared to 2003.
Direct energy consumption at the Polar Division by primary energy source
EN3 (GJ)
2003
2004
2005
Use of direct non-renewable
energy resources*, incl:
Natural gas
Diesel fuel
2006
110278116.8 112606651.9 107160018.4 108482730.7
110260906.8 112526451.5 107131680.6 108259927.8
17209.98
80200.36
28337.82
222802.86
Indirect energy consumption by primary sources
EN4
2003
2004
2005
2006
(GJ)
Electricity purchased and consumed
from sources outside the Polar
Division, incl:
From hydro plants
14774202
14580358
14635297
15149279
14774202
14580358
14635297
15149279
Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements
EN5*,
(GJ)
2003
2004
2005
2006
164066
96174
67572
62831
Production process upgrades
6212
1
38
-
Equipment reconfiguration or
replacement
22199
8710
7762
5652
Changes in personnel behavior
135656
87463
59773
57179
Total energy saved through lower
consumption and higher efficiency,
incl:
Note: *for production facilities in Norilsk Industrial Region (thermal power plants 1,2,3, boiler No. 1
5.3 Biodiversity
MMC Norilsk Nickel’s efforts to protect the environment are not limited to addressing
industrial pollution issues. Nature conservation and environmental improvement in the
regions where it works are equally important to the Company.
Norilsk Nickel invests in nature conservation technologies and is shifting to global
environmental protection standards, while supporting organizations helping to protect
the flora and fauna of the Taimyr Peninsula.
The General Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Company and the
Taimyr Autonomous Area (TAA) government envisages implementation of the
Protection and Restoration of Lands and Natural Resources in the Taimyr (DolganoNenets) Autonomous Area program in 2004-2007. Funded by the Company and the
TAA, the program includes:

Environmental monitoring;

Inventory, collection, disposal, and processing of industrial waste;

Inventory of deer pastures and development of
recommendations on their management and conservation;
scientifically
based

Creating a general register of Taimyr flora and fauna and developing methods for
their use and protection;

Forest reclamation;

Financial and technical support for observation sites on protected nature zones;

Environmental education.
R&D programs to preserve biodiversity in the Putoran (Taimyr Peninsula) and Big Arctic
(Taimyr Peninsula) national reserves receive financial support from the Company.
The main objectives of the Putoran reserve include protecting mountain, lake, and taiga
landscapes, unique flora, and rare species of animals such as the Putoran big-horn
(included in the Russian Red Book) and the world’s largest population of wild reindeer,
who winters on the reserve (which covers 1,887,000 ha). Since 2006, the Company and
the Putoran National Reserve have been studying and protecting the lesser whitefronted goose, which nests on the reserve (see http://gis-lab.info/projects/piskulka.html
and http://www.northstarst.com).
Jointly with the non-profit Working Group for North Eastern Geese, the Company is
helping to implement the Putoran Tablelands Project1 aimed at preserving rare and
endangered species of birds with habitat on the Taimyr Peninsula, including the lesser
white-fronted goose, which is included in the Global Red Book and the Russian Red
Book. The lesser white-fronted goose is used as the symbol of the Company’s
environmental programs.
1
The Putoran tableland was included in UNESCO’s Global Cultural and Natural Legacy list in 2003.
From: Ковалева Е.В. [mailto:kovalevaev@nornik.ru]
Sent: 27 September 2007 14:07
To: Sandra Cossart
Cc: Петров И.И.
Subject: >>: Fw: TR: Invitation to respond to Blacksmith Institute report
Subject: >>: Fw: TR: Invitation to respond to Blacksmith Institute report
Уважаемые Кристофер и Сандра,
Спасибо за внимание к ГМК "Норильский никель" и возможность высказать мнение по
такому важному для нас вопросу как экология.
Отвечая на ваши вопросы мы хотели бы остановиться на следующем. Нам сложно судить
об объективности выводов экспертов Blacksmith Institute, поскольку у нас не было
возможности ознакомиться с методикой составления списка наиболее загрязенных мест
планеты. Кроме того, мы не беремся судить об объективности и достоверности
данных, которые публикуются на сайте Blacksmith Institute, поскольку в 2006 году
столкнулись с использованием устаревших и неподтвержденных данных в части
Норильска. Об этом мы написали в письме, адресованном господину Фуллеру, с
которым Вы можете ознакомиться как на нашем сайте, так и в приложении к
настоящему письму.
(See attached file: 061024 Blacksmith Institute Eng.doc)
Вместе с тем, относясь с уважением к деятельности неправительственных оганизаций,
в открытом письме мы пригласили г-на Фуллера посетить Норильск и получить
информацию об экологической ситуации в городе и мерах по ее улучшению,
принимаемых ГМК "Норильский никель".
Поездка представителя по России Владимира Кузнецова состоялась в июле 2007 года,
что частично нашло отражение в последнем отчете Blacksmith Institute.
В своих комментариях российскому агентству Прайм-ТАСС по итогам поездки Владимир
Кузнецов сообщил, что Blacksmith Institute исключит Норильск из перечня десяти
наиболее загрязненных мест планеты в 2009 году после того, как будет завершен
один из важных этапов программы "Норильского никеля" по улучшению экологической
ситуации в городе - перенесен за пределы Норильска плавильный цех одного из
заводов Компании. Полный текст сообщения приведен ниже.
(See attached file: Прайм.doc)(See attached file: Прайм рус.doc)(See attached
file: russica.doc)
Российская промышленность сейчас стремится приблизиться к международным
стандартам экологической безопасности, наверстать упущенное в советские годы.
"Норильский никель", как и многие другие предприятия, вкладывает много денег в
модернизацию производства и переход на дружественные природе технологии. Мы
воспринимаем критику конструктивно, как проявление внимания к нашей деятельности
и жизни городов и поселков, в которых живут наши сотрудники. Вместе с тем, нам
хотелось бы, чтобы наши усилия по улучшению экологической ситуации также находили
отражение. По крайней мере для того, чтобы картина была объективной.
Мы будем рады ответить на все Ваши вопросы и в дальнейшем. Пожалуйста,
обращайтесь к нам, если что-то Вам будет непонятно. Мы готовы направить Вам это
письмо на английском языке, если это необходимо.
Более подробно с информацией об экологической программе "Норильского никеля" Вы
можете познакомиться на нашем корпоративном сайте www.nornik.ru или в прилагаемой
информационной справке из Социального отчета ГМК "Норильский никель" за 2006 год.
(See attached file: 5_Охрана окружающей среды_Eng окончат.rtf)
С уважением,
Елена Ковалева
заместитель Директора
Департамента общественных связей
ГМК "Норильский никель"
+7 (495) 785 58 00