MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Defense Ministry was ready to engage in the effort to eliminate environmental pollution in the town of Usolye-Sibirskoye in the Irkutsk Region, and also called for starting work in the most dangerous areas urgently.
Igor Kobzev, the region's acting governor, said that the industrial site in Usolye-Sibirskoye was previously used for production of chemical products by the Usoliekhimprom enterprise, which ceased production activities back in 2010. Following production termination, a significant amount of waste was placed in underground tanks, as a result of which soil and underground waters are saturated with hazardous chemicals.
"It is necessary to start work in the most dangerous areas, which should be detoxified as quickly as possible, already in the coming days, it is necessary to mobilize all the governmental resources, to involve the Defense Ministry and the chemical defense troops. The minister has just reported that the Defense Ministry is ready to join his effort," Putin said at talks on environmental situation in Usolye-Sibirskoye.
Putin also called for isolating the industrial site and ensuring its protection by the National Guard.
"It is absolutely obvious that comprehensive measures should be implemented urgently to tackle the situation in Usolye-Sibirskoye," Putin said.
The Russian president requested that an interdepartmental working group be created to eliminate the environmental damage.
