Ecological crisis in Roslyakovo
The ecological situation in the town of Roslaykovo, Murmansk Oblast, is critical. Smog and fumes from nearby oil reloading plants is damaging the health of the people, and especially children, a TV channel in Murmansk reports.
Smog and fumes from two large nearby oil reloading plants are the reason for many health problems amongst the 9700 inhabitants in Roslyakovo on the Eastern side of the Kola Bay, some five kilometers to the North of Murmansk.
In course of the last two years, the health of children in Roslyakovo has deteriorated, says Irina Kleyanova at the Roslyakovo polyclinic to GTRK Murman:
- We have many cases of pathologies here and the number of children suffering from bronchial asthma and dermatitis is increasing. The numbers here are very high compared to the rest of the region. – This is a result of the environmental situation, she adds.
The 300.000 tons floating oil terminal “Belokamenka” is located in the fjord outside Roslyakovo. It began functioning in 2004. In 2008 some 7.3 million tons of cure oil was reloaded at the tanker. The amount was probably higher in 2009.
The oil terminal Mokhnatkina Pakhta is also in close vicinity to Roslyakovo. This terminal was put in service in 2006 and has a capacity of 2.5 million tons per year.
The people in Roslyakovo now hope that the local shipyard will be involved in the Shtokman project, because they believe this will mean that the environmental safety will be put first, GTRK Murman reports.
The shipyard in Roslyakovo is famous for being the place where the nuclear submarine Kursk was sent for scrapping in 2001.
