"Birds fly and fall": how they live in the city of dead pigeons and yellow snow

In the Karelian city of Segezha, a week ago was able to cover the city. When the fog was dissipated, the locals saw that everything around was covered with a yellow raid of unknown origin, and dead birds were lying on the ground. The leadership of the local Central Bank, which is part of the Corporation of the billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov , denies his involvement in what happened.

"Segezha groups, check your scrubberry (gas purification system from impurities. - SR) !" - With such a signature, a resident of Segezhi laid out a photo of a car stained with a yellow raid, in the public "Segezha Online" on November 11. Two days later, a strong one sank into the city: the snow turned yellow, there were dead birds on the streets.

About 27 thousand people live in Segezh. About two thousand works at the Central Bank. The plant produces paper for bags and forest chemical products. The company appeared exactly 80 years ago and is now part of the Segezha Group holding, which is part of the AFC system of the billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov (No. 63 in the list of 200 richest people in Russia according to Forbes , its fortune is estimated at $ 1,500 million).

It was hard to breathe, as if you were inhaled some kind of powder

The Segezh plant is located within the city, from the factory passing to the city court - 700 meters, to the building of the district administration - less than a kilometer. Locals have long been accustomed to the neighborhood with an industrial giant, the area of which is comparable with the area of the entire Segezhi, to the constant smell of hydrogen sulfide and smoking pipes. But on November 13, 2019, they were scared of such a neighbor.

- After work, I went outside and saw that everything was in the fog. I could not see the store across the road. It was hard to breathe, as if you were inhaling some kind of powder, ”a hotel officer, located near the Central Bank, told the North-CBC.

“The terrible fog stood in the city this afternoon! I came home, a bright jacket all in yellow divorces, and not to remove anything, this raid does not take anything,” user Anna Zmeeva wrote on social networks.

Photos of yellow snow, corpses of birds began to appear in local publics. Eco -activist Natalya Pastushenko turned to the networks with a request to send photos of dead birds - she was filled up with pictures.

- Raven, and tits, and bullfinches fell. Every day they send photos every day, ”said Natalia.

Sow, which is not

Natalya Pastushenko is sure that the yellow snow was able (locals call it an emission) and the death of birds are connected, and the plant became the source of the emergency. But the charges are refuted at the plant: the managing director of the Central Bank Sergey Toropov said that the concentration of pollutants in production is normal.

- The gas -linked system at the Segezhsky Central Bank of the Central Bank throughout 2019 is valid in normal mode. This is evidenced by the results of a re -testing of atmospheric air and water tests in the production zone. Studies were carried out by the environmental department of the sanitary-industrial laboratory of the production security service of the Segezhsky Central Bank. <...> Snow was also examined by the laboratory (taken from the SCBC site, which appears on the photograph widespread in social networks). On November 15, 2019, two samples were taken from different points, results for stiffness, oxidability, pH, alkalinity, and also for the content of sulfates were obtained, the press service of the Segezha Group holding said. -The work of the current production could not have any negative effect on the human body.

In the evening they walked along the bridge, a burning sensation while inhaling this muck

Specialists of the Karelian Rospotrebnadzor came to similar conclusions :

"The Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Karelia has selection of atmospheric air samples in terms of indicators: hydrogen fluoride, dioxide nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, suspended substances, methyl -metercaptan at five segments. Exceeding the MPC of pollutants in all five air samples."

True, in the statements of the Central Bank, and the report of Rospotrebnadzor indicates information about the samples taken on November 15, that is, two days after the release. They did not answer questions about what samples were on the day of the release. And on November 17, the inhabitants of the city again complained about the smog covering them.

“In the evening they walked along the bridge - a burning sensation while inhaling this muck,” they wrote in social networks.

- I walked along the boulevard on Saturday, there the birds fly and fall. I hit the pigeon into the wall of the store ... I don’t remember anything like this in Segezh, ”says Petrozavodsk, head of the local department of Rospotrebnadzor,“ Petrozavodsk says ”.

Patients of the district clinic spoke about similar symptoms of the Sever. Real. A local resident Vadim came to the therapist with complaints of a strange cough.

- When the release occurred, I worked. I saw something yellow by car, did not attach any importance to this. And then the cough began, and worse and worse. What is, I did not understand at all. There is no temperature, there is no cold ... In general, of course, you have to leave this city! He says.

Pigeon Mor

It is unpleasant to walk along the Segezh today: on the streets, roadsides, dead birds are in the ditches. But not everyone connects the death of birds with the emissions of the plant. Local zoo defender Elena Semenova does not blame the Central Bank exclusively. According to her, the birds began to die even before the sensational ejection - they could simply be poisoned.

- I noticed that the pigeons began to die a few weeks ago. Only near my entrance I found about 16 corpses. November 12 ( the release was 13th.-SR ) I found three dead birds at once, two more were "on the way." I called the veterinary station and brought them three pigeons, ”says Semenova. - This is easy to do. There are many different recipes on the Internet, for example, with salt. Once in Segezh, dogs were massively poisoned.

The Segezh administration sent several dead pigeons for examination in Petrozavodsk. The examination showed an increased salt content in the liver of birds.

"The plant is indifferent to people"

About 15–20 years ago, there was a persistent smell of hydrogen sulfide. Now much better

- production is carried out using chemicals. Of course, there is a precipitation. Yellow snow is sulfate, it is precipitation ... But in Cherepovets it is even worse! - commented by the head of the Department of Civil Defense and Emergencies of the Administration of the Segezh district , Alexander Serov . - The plant voiced its data. They carry out tests every day. According to them, there were no emergency emissions. Modernization is carried out from them. Previously, about 15–20 years ago, there was a persistent smell of hydrogen sulfide. Now much better.

With the fact that the situation in Segezh has become better, I do not agree to Segezhanka Ulyana Gerashchenko . Together with her friend, she wrote a petition in which she called the recent events the "Segezh Mor" and demanded "install filters at the plant." “In our city of Segezha, there is a constant release of chemicals into the air, which subsequently forms fogs with caustic, gently, unpleasant smell, the stink is terrible,” the petition says. “Also constant pollution of water: yellow, sometimes brown color, sediment, smell. All this is quite serious, reporting that the indicators are normal. But we see a completely opposite, this Disaster.

Ulyana is sure that now there is no normal cleaning system at the Central Bank.

I can't even open the windows in the apartment for the whole day! The environmental situation has only worsened

-I was born in Segezh, I lived in St. Petersburg for 10 years. Now I returned home and was horrified. I can't even open the windows in the apartment for the whole day! The environmental situation has only worsened, ”she says.

Ulyana seeks that officials and large business are aware of their responsibility to the townspeople.

“When the soot flies and such a smell that it is impossible to open the window, these are indifference and financial interests,” the zoo defender Elena Semenova agrees with Ulyana Gerashchenko. - I think it is not normal that the plant is so indifferent to people.

One of the employees of the enterprise told about the conditions for working at the Central Bank of the Sever. Reali to the North. According to him, many employees complain about abdominal pain, and recently almost all workers have cut their vacations: earlier he was 57 days, now - 44.

The entire workshop is now a new symptom - rub in the stomach that appear when going out into the street

- Probably, working conditions have improved, only it is not clear what exactly. The entire workshop is now a new symptom - rub in the stomach that appear when going out. Everything is fine in the workshop, on the street - pain. I already sinned on the water, but now I did not drink water from the tap, but the pains remained, ”he said.

On November 19, Segezha Group reported that 600 million rubles will spend 600 million rubles to modernize the Central Bank cleaning system in 2019–2020. At the beginning of this year, an electrician was already reconstructed there on one of the boilers. True, in the process of replacing the equipment, the production did not stop and the emissions did not pass the full cleaning cycle. Rospotrebnadzor conducted an audit after a complaint of a local resident Anastasia Khandshina. Then the Segezhsky Central Bank JSC was held accountable for violation of the rules of operation and the failure to use the equipment for gas purification. The maximum fine under this article of the Code of Administrative Offenses is 20 thousand rubles.