Ecology among the priorities

The industry of the Central part of Eastern Orenburg region is now enjoying the period of increase and it affects directly the quantity of discharges into the atmosphere over the city which is situated in a natural cup at the piedmont of the Urals. The situation became so aggravated that even the administration who usually don’t make the ecologists/ reports public domain arranged a number of conferences. The citizens are well aware who the main contaminators are: Orsko-Khalilovsky metallurgical complex, recently renamed “Ural Steel”  as well as Orsk nickel complex and Novotroitsky chemical and cement works. The industrial plants had to submit full reports on their environmental programs. The speakers used a lot of terms and figures which in fact were not more than a routine reports on the plans of reconstruction. Nobody felt real care about the city in those presentations. But “Orsknefteorgsintez” stood out at the background of general common approach to the problem.

The fact of presence of the General Director of the plant? Mr. V.V.Piliugin evidenced the oil chemists’ serious concern over ecological problems. Actually, ONOS invests considerable means in ecology. According to the prognosis, in 2007 Oil and Gas Company “RussNeft”  is going to spend 132 655.6 thousand rubles for implementation of the ecological program. From the illustrative and accompanied by demonstration of slides and schemes report delivered by the Director of HSE Department Mr. S.I.Komarov one could see that ecology at the refinery has been among the priorities for much more than a year. ONOS pays special attention to environmental matters:  the measures which are taken permit to meliorate ecological situation not only at the plant itself, but at the city on the whole. And this concern embraces all the spheres of technogenic affect. This position implements the principles of management of “Russneft”.

Thus, to minimize the volume of contaminating discharges the plant is building the on-spot load rack. As soon as it is put into operation gasoline evaporation will be practically eliminated. This summer the plant has undertaken inventory count of the sources of pollutant emissions (they counted to more than 300). The experts of the HSE laboratory daily take air and water samples in the city, at the territory of the plant and at the treatment plants which work for the whole city. This is an object of paramount importance both for Orsk and for the region, and “RussNeft” invested substantial means into it. At present, with the help of English specialists, the plant is completing start-up works of the second part of flotation block. It will improve the quality of the drains discharged to the treatment plants. The total cost of this work amounts to 63 305 thousand rubles.

ONOS also takes care of the land. It is now completing recultivation of Sarinsky clay pit which was started in 1942 for bleaching clay production and closed in 1987 in connection with changing of processing technologies.

Another important problem is that of industrial dump sites which encircle the city. “Orsknefteorgsintez” is responsible for about  300 thousand tons of fuel oil-polluted soil which is dangerous from the point of vies of evaporation or getting into ground waters, especially those which are close to drinking water sources. The plant undertakes within the frame of the ecological program to detoxify up to 50 tons of wastes and to eliminate the problem completely in 5-7 years.

As far as other perspective plans are concerned, the year 2008 is to become the year of stable work on implementation of all the measures planned earlier as well as new ones. Immense investments were made into ecology and the effect is already seen and it will show up in future.

From the beginning of 2007 the plant supported by Oil and Gas Company “RussNeft” started to implement a large-scale program on reconstruction and upgrading which is to be completed in a number of years. The results of reforming show not only at the efficiency of production and the quality of the product, but also at ecological situation both of the plant and the city on the whole.

Irina Reutova