The Tula Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, with the involvement of specialists from regulatory bodies, based on the publication in the media “Norilsk in Tula: the city is threatened by an ecological disaster”, carried out an audit of compliance with the requirements of the legislation on environmental protection.
It was established that, in violation of the provisions of the Federal Law “On Environmental Protection”, the committee of property and land relations of the administration of Tula did not put on the state register as objects that have a negative impact on the environment, a fuel oil storage and a fuel pump station, which are located on a land plot, owned by the administration of the municipal formation of the city of Tula (the former territory of the liquidated combine plant). In addition, the safe storage of residues of fuel oil related to hazard class 3 wastes in terms of the degree of negative impact on the environment was not ensured, which led to their spilling from the indicated containers onto the soil.
Studies of samples taken by specialists at the site of the oil spill showed that atmospheric air and soil were polluted to levels that pose a threat to human health and life, as well as the environment.
In connection with the revealed violations of the law, the Tula Environmental Prosecutor initiated against a legal entity – the Committee of Property and Land Relations of the Administration of the city of Tula – cases of administrative offenses under Part 1 of Art. 8.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (non-compliance with the requirements in the field of environmental protection during the collection, accumulation, transportation, processing, disposal or disposal of production and consumption waste), part 2 of Art. 8.6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (damage to land as a result of violation of the rules for handling other production and consumption waste hazardous to human health and the environment), Art. 8.46 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (failure to fulfill the obligation to submit an application for state registration of objects that have a negative impact on the environment).
In order to eliminate the consequences caused by the fuel oil spill, the environmental prosecutor made a submission to the chairman of the committee of property and land relations of the administration of the city of Tula.
Based on the results of consideration of the inspection materials sent to the investigative body, a criminal case was initiated on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Art. 247 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of the rules for the circulation of environmentally hazardous substances and waste, resulting in environmental pollution), the investigation of which is put under control in the environmental prosecutor’s office.