What does it smell at Electrocele?

Residents of the Moscow region complain of a strong caustic smell from the Power Machine plant. According to Petersburgers, he appeared in the summer of 2022. Local residents turned to the leadership of the plant and next spring they achieved a meeting at which representatives of the “power machines” promised to rectify the situation.

For several months, the stench subsided, but by the summer of 2023 - returned with greater force.

"Paper" tells what the cause of the smell is and how it is associated with import substitution after the outbreak of war.

The material is updated on July 7 at 20:30. A commentary of the press service of "power machines" has been added.

What's happened . In the summer of 2022, residents of the Moscow region began to feel a strong chemical smell from the Electrosil plant. According to a local resident, at first it did not smell very often, but since March 2023 the smell became stronger.

At the end of April, representatives of the plant met with local residents, told the “paper” of St. Petersburg, which was present at this meeting.

Representatives of the “power machines” said that the substance that stinks is called “Butadien”. According to representatives of the plant, it is contained in rubber varnish and stands out when working with it. It has been used since the summer of 2022, when imported materials began to leave Russia. At first it was mixed with imported varnish reserves, but in March the old reserves ended and the smell went from the factory.

The “Paper” sent a request to the press service of the “power machines” in April 2023, but did not receive an answer.

Then, at a meeting with local residents, representatives of the plant promised to regularly measure the concentration of a substance in the air to be sure that they did not violate GOST.

What else was promised by representatives of the plant . Representatives of the plant, tells Petersburger, also promised to use odorous material only in windy and bad weather. In addition, says Petersburger, representatives promised at the end of June to install filters that would remove this smell, as well as work out the idea of ​​transferring this part of production outside the city.

In addition, representatives of the plant informed local residents that in the case of a stench, they could call the enterprise dispatcher so that the plant would measure the concentration of the substance in the air and stop the work when exceeded.

How the situation developed further. As a local resident said, for a while the smell really disappeared.

In addition, on April 25, a meeting of the interdepartmental group was held (the editorial office has a meeting protocol at the disposal), which discussed the situation around the Kirov Plant and the Power Machine Plant.

According to the protocol, representatives of the “power machines” confirmed the smell from the factory and called it the reason - the substance “Butadien”. They also said that by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023 they plan to switch to a new technological process.

Representatives of the plant at a group meeting also noted that they work as part of the defense state order.

How the smell returned. Petersburger said that the smell did not bother, but returned in June and with greater strength than before.

According to the girl, local residents call the plant daily. The representative of the plant first said that the smell will stop June 15, then - at the end of June, and a new term on July 5.

Petersburger notes that the problem is aggravated with heat in the city-because of the smell, residents cannot open windows.

“Paper” sent another request to “Power Machines”, as well as to the Office of Rosprirodnadzor in St. Petersburg, but by the time the material was published, she did not receive a response.

Update on July 7 . The press service of the “power machines” “Paper” confirmed the pungent smell, which the locals are talking about. Its reason is the departure of the supplier of raw materials from the market. Because of this, the Electrosil plant is forced to temporarily return to the previous technology using a rubber-based varnish.

At the same time, the press service claims that work with a lacquer on a rubber basis ended in early July.

In addition, the press service writes, the plant tried to minimize the inconvenience for local residents. For example, they carried out the necessary air measurements and did not find excesses of the maximum concentrations of harmful substances.

What is known about the plant . 100 % of the company's shares belong to Highstat Limited, whose beneficiary is the entrepreneur Alexei Mordashov. The company's factories design, manufacture and serve steam, hydraulic and gas turbines of various capacities, as well as equipment for the production of electric machines, traction engines, and generators. Since 2017-2018, the company has been under the sanctions of Europe and the USA for the supply of equipment for power plants in Crimea.

Photo on the cover: Petr Kovalev/TASS

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