A Russian court in the southern region of Bashkortostan has ruled that a local soda company must cease mining at a chalk hill after it was declared a natural preserve, court documents show
UFA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) A Russian court in the southern region of Bashkortostan has ruled that a local soda company must cease mining at a chalk hill after it was declared a natural preserve, court documents show.
The ruling comes after years of protesting by eco-activists who have advocated to preserve Kushtau, a former reef on the floor of the ancient tropical Ural Ocean formed over 230 million years ago.
The Syryevaya soda company was granted the right in 2019 to develop the hill as a quarry until 2039, prompting clashes between the company's security personnel and environmentalists. A green nonprofit filed a lawsuit against the company in September.
"The decision [to grant mining rights] and all actions (inaction) are deemed entirely illegal," the Bashkortostan court of arbitration said in the ruling.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the soda company in August for hoarding abroad the money it earned by extracting mineral resources in the region. The court ruled in December to bring the company back under government control.
