Donetsk, Sep 28 - DAN. Ukraine-controlled Kramatorsk is assessed as a crisis zone due to critical air pollution levels, the DPR Emergencies Ministry press service reported on Thursday following a meeting of the Joint Inspection for monitorig industrial facilities in Kiev-held parts of Donetsk region.
“The Joint Inspection met over negative impact on the population and environment caused by enterprises and facilities located in the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk industrial hub,” the report said. “The atmospheric contamination level, according to the four-grade scale effective in Ukraine (norm, risk, crisis, disaster) is consistent with the crisis zone.”
Experts said the settlements located ten to 15 kilometers from Kramatorsk (Yasnogorka, Sofiyevka, Krasnogorka, Shabelkovka, Alexandrovka, Belenkoye, Malotaranovka, Semyonovka and Vasyutinskoye) are in the risk zone. More than 8,000 tons of dust, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon are injected into the town atmoshpere every year.
The DPR Ministry also said that the faulty operation of water treatment facilities was as dangerous environmental and health hazard. All biological waste is dumped into the River Kazenniy Torets. This piles up life-threatening substances having a high content of sulphates, chlorides, biological oxygen demand, ammoniacal nigtrogen, nitrates, iron and petroleum products.
“Water intake from natural reservoirs in Kramotorsk area has increased by more than two-fold recently; the Gebel Dam built in 1931 is worn out needing reparis. The dam was built for upstream enterpises to take technical water; it raises the water level by 2.5 meters,” the Ministry said.
Solid domestic and asbestos-cement waste dump sites do not meet the ecological safety and operation norms which makes them spontaneous dust injecting sources. A pressing issue is the rate of circulatory system diseases which remains critical in the region, the Ministry's report said.
The joint Inspection Commission for monitoring and safety control at companies located in Kiev-held territory was set up at DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko’s order within the scope of the Donbass people reunification humanitarian programme. It includes representatives of all dedicated ministries, department and government services, as well as scientists and activists.*jk