The city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region became famous not only throughout the country, but also the entire planet as the most environmentally dangerous place in the world. And this is due to two large sludge collectors, called the "White Sea" and "Black Hole", and also with the landfill. Today we have to learn more about these "sights" in more detail in the article.
History of sludge collectors
In Soviet times, factories for 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 undeveloped system of supervision and regulation of waste, a serious environmental disaster developed over time in Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region. These consequences still pose a threat to the life and health of citizens. And solving the issue of recycling is an overwhelming task for contemporaries.
How it was?
In the Soviet Union, convicts went to "free settlements" to Dzerzhinsk. They worked under the supervision of the police in chemical industries. Here, in the only place in the country, poison was made, which at one time received the Nobel Prize. It was called dust (or in short - 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 able to accumulate in the body.
In the 70s, it was forbidden to manufacture and use. 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 disposed of in a landfill, forming a landfill. Indiscriminately, without pressing, everything was dumped 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, bends around the mouth of the river. Hairy. 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
The Plexiglas plant and other enterprises dumped waste into the so-called Black Hole, which the locals themselves nicknamed the chemical lake. According to experts, it accumulated more than 70,000 tons of chemicals, almost the majority 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 with the activities of the Caprolactam plant, since 1973 another chemical lake appeared, created by human hands. We are talking about the "White Sea" in Dzerzhinsk. According to experts, about 7,000,000 of the most diverse wastes are stored here, most of which are chemicals.
This "sea" looks like an apocalyptic desert on the background of plants. The earth is dry but marshy. It can be bogged down shallowly, but the sensations are frightening. After heavy rains, liquid accumulates here. But this is not water, but an alkaline solution. Birds trying to dive into the White Sea in Dzerzhinsk do not return back. And the matter is not in depth. They are poisoned, a sludge collector is strewn with their corpses.
Not knowing the history of the “White Sea” in Dzerzhinsk, you can get first impressions of this place without causing concern. True, there are signs warning of the danger. With regards to air, it doesn’t smell anything special here. Many gases do not smell or smell very faint. For example, odorless dioxins. And these gases are here, you can be sure of it.
Ecological situation in Dzerzhinsk
Not far from the sludge lake, literally eight hundred meters, is the village of Igumnovo. Local residents grow vegetables, fish in neighboring 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 collector in Dzerzhinsk?
In addition to the sludge collector, there is another environmental problem, the source of which is located at the Igumnovo waste landfill. Its area covers over 110 hectares, and is the largest landfill of solid waste in Europe.
The Black Hole and the White Sea in Dzerzhinsk are a real scourge not only for the Nizhny Novgorod region, but for the whole country.
Opinion of the residents of the village of Gorbatovka and Igumnovo
Residents 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 proximity to the "monsters." In their opinion, living their whole lives in the area, their organisms absorbed so many harmful substances that there was simply nothing more to fear.
Local government strongly discourages drinking water from wells. But there was no centralized water supply here, and there was none. Therefore, residents are simply forced to use the resources that they have. But do not think that they have reconciled with their fate. Complaints and petitions about the current depressing state in the region are regularly collected. Until 2011, the situation did not change, no action was taken, with the exception of fences in the form of a wire fence and warning signs about a dangerous place.
Not only water, but also air is unbearable if the wind blows towards the villages in the direction from the sludge collectors. At such moments, residents are hiding in their homes, and close all windows and windows.
Smoked fish "Dzerzhinsky"
Given the fact that all drains in the Nizhny Novgorod region, including groundwater, flow into the Oka River, it is easy to imagine what the situation is with the water. Despite this, people continue to not only swim in the river, but also go fishing. In addition, the caught catch often goes for sale. Smoked fish and sold in the public domain.
People who know where the “White Sea” in Dzerzhinsk or the “Black Hole” are located are unlikely to risk their health by eating smoked local fish.
Measures taken to eliminate sludge collectors
On June 9, 2011, a meeting of the State Council was held in the city, headed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Before the meeting, the head of state not only personally visited the White Sea, the Black Hole and the Igumnovo training ground, but also familiarized himself with documents drawn up by experts during their research on the environmental situation in the region. It was decided to create measures for the disposal of sludge collectors 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 eliminated 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 facilities. Each year, an amount of one billion rubles was received. But by 2014, transfers stopped due to an inefficient distribution of funds and for other purposes.
The first contract was concluded in 2012 in the amount of 1.6 billion rubles with the organization "Ekoros". As a result of failure to fulfill obligations, several criminal cases were instituted on the White Sea in Dzerzhinsk.
Then 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 debited.
Thus, Dzerzhinsk gained fame as the most corrupt city, thundered by any scandal and criminal cases on the basis of the environmental situation in the region.
Hope to save the situation
In 2016, an agreement was concluded with a contractor LLC GazEnergoStroy in the amount of 4.1 billion rubles. Given the complexity of the process of disposing of 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 that proposed its own methodology for eliminating the consequences of industrial plants.
Now there is no practice in the destruction of over 70,000 cubic meters of chemical and solid waste that has accumulated over the entire period of time. The only way that can lead to a positive result is the technology of thermolysis with subsequent 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 facilities. Financing is planned both from the federal treasury, and regional and local, as well as from extrabudgetary sources.
According to experts, of the three objects, the Black Hole is the most difficult territory for waste elimination in the world.
Finally
Maintaining a favorable environmental situation is the key to the health and life of all living things. It is very important not only to take care of it, but also by all means to eliminate the consequences of the irresponsible release of chemicals into the environment. Let us hope that the most polluted objects of the planet that are in our country will be eliminated as safely as possible.