The landfill 30 kilometers from the northern capital and 6 kilometers from the city of Kolpino was once chosen by Soviet scientists for the temporary, and then permanent, storage of industrial toxic waste not by chance. Cambrian clays 80-110 meters thick are located there, which prevent toxic substances from penetrating into groundwater. Over time, after the landfill had been in operation for more than forty years, it turned into an environmental problem not only for Russia, but also for other countries. Storage tanks as deep as a nine-story building turned out to be higher than the Vodokanal water intake of St. Petersburg, and only 7.6 kilometers from the Neva River. From there, pollution could enter the Gulf of Finland, and then into the Baltic Sea.
The elimination of harm from waste was entrusted to FSUE "FEO". FSUE "FEO" is a "daughter" of the Rosatom State Corporation. It is the only company in the country that deals with the elimination of long-term environmental damage at Russian landfills as part of the federal project "Clean Country" within the national project "Ecology".
Certain results have already been achieved. In particular, with regard to the Krasny Bor landfill, where we are working today. Historically, hazardous waste from all over the Soviet Union was brought here. At the moment, its remediation has been completed by 60%. And, of course, this facility no longer poses such a danger to people and the environment as it used to. Nevertheless, the work must be continued, and it is continuing. And, given the scale, it will continue for several more years
At the first stage of work, the company's specialists strengthened the embankment dams of five open storage tanks and replaced the pontoon cover that had expired. This made it possible to completely eliminate the risk of waste leakage. Then, FSUE "FEO" began to bring the landfill to a safe state around the entire perimeter. As measures:
- 70% of the anti-filtration echeloned curtain is ready, which will prevent the migration of pollutants to adjacent territories. Its length will be about 3.5 km, and its depth will be up to 7 meters;
- an innovative technological infrastructure has been created for the neutralization of more than 340 thousand cubic meters of liquid and pasty waste accumulated in open storage tanks. Their complete processing will be completed in December 2025.
Then the surface of the landfill will be covered with a multifunctional reclamation screen, including eleven structural layers for various purposes. They will prevent atmospheric precipitation from entering the landfill and the formation of contaminated leachate.
This is not the only object of accumulated environmental damage that the Rosatom State Corporation is working with as part of the national project "Ecology". A closed cycle of safe and efficient handling of industrial waste of hazard classes 1-2 and the elimination of the most dangerous facilities are planned in the cities of Magnitogorsk and Usolye-Sibirskoye, and at the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill.
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