A campaign against emissions from Metinvest's metallurgical plants was held in Mariupol

On the Teatralnaya Square of the city of Mariupol, citizens gathered to protest against the deterioration of the environmental situation in the city. The task of the action, according to its organizers, is to show the factories and the authorities that residents care about the environmental situation.

Among the demands of the protesters published on social networks, the protesters should not allow an increase in production (relative to the level of 2016) until a comprehensive modernization of filters and the installation of online gas analyzers at the main sources of emissions.

According to the deputy of the local council Maxim Borodin, before the protests, an extraordinary meeting of the city executive committee was held, at which the mayor of Mariupol and former top manager of Metinvest Vadim Boychenko took the position of advocate for the polluters.

"It is a pity that today at the extraordinary executive committee Vadim Boychenko decided to be the peremptory advocate of polluting factories. Instead of specific and feasible requirements for factories and government agencies, we were all offered to meet more polluters and just talk!"

The Mayor's Office of Mariupol said that the rally was not sanctioned by the authorities and impedes the preparation of the square for the celebration of the City Day.

"An unauthorized rally on environmental issues is currently taking place on Teatralnaya Square. Its participants hinder the work of the city's utilities and prevent the establishment of a festive scene," the Mariupol City Council said in a statement.



Earlier it was reported that Mariupol became the leader in environmental pollution among 39 largest cities of Ukraine "thanks" to the work of two metallurgical plants controlled by Rinat Akhmetov and Vadim Novinsky (owning the Dutch holding Metinvest B.V.): Ilyich and Azovstal.

In June of this year, more than 2,000 Mariupol residents protested against air pollution, urging factory owners to upgrade the filtration systems of both metal producers in the city.

In April 2017, Metinvest promised that over the next five years the group will invest about US $ 318 million in environmental projects in Mariupol.