Infrastructure for mercury-containing lamps and batteries disposal is created in Bashkiria

UFA, 24 January 2020. /Bashinform News Agency/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

An infrastructure will be created in Bashkiria for the disposal of mercury-containing wastes and batteries resulting from human activities. The Ministry of Nature Management and Ecology RB addressed the initiative on its creation to the Federal State Unitary Enterprise RosRAO, which is a federal operator for the management of hazardous waste of I-II hazard classes.

Earlier, Bashinform News Agency reported the company’s plans to construct a hazardous waste processing enterprise in the republic. As specified by the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic, the construction of enterprises for the waste management of I and II hazard classes by the federal operator is not provided in Bashkortostan.

“The implementation of any object that has a negative impact on the environment is subject to mandatory state environmental review with public hearings in order to take into account the opinion of the population,” said Niyaz Fazylov, Deputy Minister of Nature Management and Ecology RB. “Today in Bashkortostan there are private enterprises with facilities for disposal of mercury lamps and thermometers. However, the capacity of these plants is not enough to handle the waste generated in the republic. In this regard, the Ministry of Ecology RB turned to RosRAO with an initiative to create an infrastructure in the region for such waste disposal.

Soon, Bashkortostan will conclude an agreement with the operator and a roadmap will be developed for such waste disposal.

From January 1, 2021, all industrial enterprises of the republic that generate waste of I-II hazard classes will be required to connect to the state information management system (GIS), which will control the flow of the waste, record it, and identify violations.

Waste, which includes, but is not limited to, used batteries and mercury-containing lamps generated in our region will be sent for recycling to enterprises in accordance with the federal scheme.