The city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region has become famous not only throughout the country, but throughout the planet as the most environmentally hazardous place in the world. And this is connected with two large sludge reservoirs, called the "White Sea" and the "Black Hole", and also with the waste landfill. Today we have to learn more about these "sights" in the article.
History of sludge reservoirs
In Soviet times, factories supplying the defense of our army were actively operated in Dzerzhinsk. In the 30s, this city was not just the center of the chemical industry. Poisonous substances such as chlorine, phosgene, mustard gas, lewisite, hydrocyanic acid, explosives, rocket fuel, tetraethyl lead and polyvinyl chloride were actively produced here.
Given the underdeveloped system of supervision and regulation of waste, in Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a serious environmental disaster has developed over time. These consequences still pose a threat to the life and he alth of citizens. And the decisionthe issue of disposal is an exorbitant task for contemporaries.
How was it?
In the Soviet Union, convicts were sent to "free settlements" in Dzerzhinsk. They worked under the supervision of the police in chemical industries. Here, in the only place in the country, poison was produced, which at one time received the Nobel Prize. It was called dust (or abbreviated as DDT from its chemical name). Some residents even jokingly called their city by this name. For a long time, this poison was considered safe for humans. But after a series of studies, the opposite was proved - it is not only dangerous, but also capable of accumulating in the body.
In the 70s it was forbidden to make and use it. The Convention on this was signed by all countries, including the USSR. But, despite this, until the 80s, its production did not stop.
In Soviet times, few people were interested in ecology. All waste began to be taken to a landfill, forming a waste landfill. Indiscriminately, without pressing, everything was thrown into a heap. This pile spontaneously ignited under the influence of chemical reactions, and poisonous smoke swept through the city.
Sludge is a solid powdery waste from the chemical industry. The "White Sea", which is now a sludge collector, goes around the mouth of the river. Volosyanikhs. The water in it has a bright brown color and the smell of chemicals. It is worth noting that the Volosyanikha River flows into the Oka.
Chemical reservoirs
Factory "Plexiglas" andother enterprises dumped waste into the so-called "Black Hole", which the locals themselves called the chemical lake. According to experts, more than 70,000 tons of chemicals have accumulated in it, almost the largest part of the periodic table. This "lake" is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most polluted body of water on the planet.
Starting from the activities of the plant "Caprolactam", since 1973, another chemical lake has appeared, created by human hands. We are talking about the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk. According to experts, about 7,000,000 of various wastes are stored here, most of which are chemicals.
This "sea" looks like an apocalyptic desert against the backdrop of factories. The earth is dry but boggy. You can get bogged down in it shallowly, but the sensations are frightening. After heavy rains, liquid accumulates here. But this is not water, but an alkaline solution. Birds that try to dive into the White Sea in Dzerzhinsk do not resurface. And it's not about depth. They are poisoned, their corpses are strewn with sludge.
Without knowing the history of the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk, one can get first impressions of this place that do not cause concern. True, there are signs warning of danger. As for the air, it doesn't really smell like anything here. Many gases do not smell, or smell very faintly. For example, dioxins are odorless. And these gases are hovering here, you can be sure of it.
Environmental situation in Dzerzhinsk
Not far from the sludge lake,Literally eight hundred meters away is the village of Igumnovo. Local residents grow vegetables, fish in nearby reservoirs, and use water from wells. Needless to say, water, air and groundwater carry the luggage of the periodic table from the White Sea sludge reservoir in Dzerzhinsk?
Besides the sludge collector, there is another environmental problem here, the source of which is located at the Igumnovo waste landfill. Covering over 110 hectares, it is the largest solid waste dump in Europe.
The "Black Hole" and "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk are a real scourge not only for the Nizhny Novgorod region, but for the whole country.
The opinion of the residents of the village of Gorbatovka and Igumnovo
Inhabitants of the village of Gorbatovka (where the "Black Hole" is located four kilometers away) and Igumnovo (eight hundred meters from the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk) do not cause much concern about their neighborhood with "monsters". In their opinion, having lived all their lives in this area, their bodies have absorbed so many harmful substances that there is simply nothing more to be afraid of.
Local government strongly discourages drinking water from wells. But there is no centralized water supply here, and never was. Therefore, residents are simply forced to use the resources that they have. But do not think that they resigned themselves to their fate. Complaints and petitions are regularly collected about the current deplorable state in the region. Until 2011, the situation did not change, nono action was taken, except for wire fences and warning signs of a dangerous place.
Not only the water, but also the air is unbearable if the wind blows towards the villages in the direction of the sludge reservoirs. At such moments, residents hide in their homes and close all windows and vents.
Dzerzhinsky style smoked fish
Given the moment that all wastewater in the Nizhny Novgorod region, including groundwater, flows into the Oka River, it is easy to imagine what the situation with water is like there. Despite this, people continue to not only swim in the river, but also go fishing. In addition, the caught catch is often sold. The fish is smoked and sold freely.
People who know where the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk or the "Black Hole" is located are unlikely to risk their he alth by eating smoked local fish.
Measures taken to eliminate sludge reservoirs
On June 9, 2011, a meeting of the State Council headed by the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev took place in the city. Before the meeting, the head of state not only personally visited the "White Sea", "Black Hole" and the Igumnovo test site, but also got acquainted with the documents compiled by experts in the course of their research work on the environmental situation in the region. It was decided to create measures for the disposal of sludge reservoirs and landfill by the end of 2015. This was a real breakthrough in solving the global problem in Dzerzhinsk.
But, unfortunately,neither the "White Sea" near Igumnovo, nor other territories with chemical waste, have been liquidated to date.
Corruption scandals and criminal cases
In 2012 and 2013, funds were allocated to the treasury of the Nizhny Novgorod region to eliminate the environmental situation at the above-mentioned facilities. Every year, an amount of one billion rubles was received. But by 2014, transfers were suspended due to inefficient distribution of funds and for the wrong purpose.
The first contract was concluded in 2012 in the amount of 1.6 billion rubles with the Ecoros organization. As a result of non-fulfillment of obligations, several criminal cases were opened on the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk.
Further in 2013, a tender was held for a contractor to eliminate the Black Hole. Competitions were held with gross violations of the legislation of the Russian Federation. As a result, the work was not performed, and the funds were written off.
Thus, Dzerzhinsk gained fame as the most corrupt city, thundered by not a single scandal and criminal cases on the basis of the environmental situation in the region.
Hope of saving the situation
In 2016, an agreement was signed with the contractor GazEnergoStroy LLC in the amount of 4.1 billion rubles. Given the complexity of the process of recycling chemicals from the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk, the "Black Hole" and the Igumnovo landfill, this turned out to be the only representative of an environmental company who offeredits methodology for dealing with the consequences of industrial plants.
Now there is no practice of destroying more than 70,000 cubic meters of chemical and solid waste that have accumulated over the entire period of time. The only way that can lead to a positive result is the technology of thermolysis followed by afterburning, according to experts. This method was proposed by the winning contractor in the competition.
In accordance with the contract, by 2020 the contractor is obliged to fulfill its obligations for all three objects. Financing is planned both from the federal treasury, and from the regional and local, as well as from extrabudgetary sources.
According to experts, of the three objects, the Black Hole is the most difficult area to dispose of waste in the world.
In conclusion
Preservation of a favorable ecological environment is the key to the he alth and life of all living beings. It is very important not only to take care of it, but also to eliminate the consequences of the irresponsible release of chemicals into the environment by all means. Let's hope that the most polluted objects of the planet, which are located in our country, will be eliminated as safely as possible.
