Yamal-Nenets Governor: Environmental oversight in the Arctic needs to be transferred to the regions
© RIA Novosti. Alexei Kudenko

Yamal-Nenets Governor: Environmental oversight in the Arctic needs to be transferred to the regions

Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area Dmitry Kobylkin proposed to authorize regional governments to perform state environmental oversight in areas of the Arctic zone not included on the federal list. He made the statement at a meeting in Salekhard, attended by Russia's prosecutor general, as reported by TASS.

"At present, there are 425 companies registered on Yamal, working in the fuel and energy, geological exploration, housing and utilities services, construction and transport industries. They account for 90 percent of the waste and polluting emissions. Yet, the ​​regional authorities only oversee educational and social institutions, small and medium-sized businesses; but the degree of their negative impact on environment is incomparable with that of major economic entities," Kobylkin said.

The transfer of these powers to the regions, according to the governor, will eliminate the existing contradictions in legislation regulating the oversight of mineral development companies and their industrial facilities.