Residents of Volgograd demand to stop refinery

The Tsentralny Court of Volgograd has held a hearing on suspension of the Limited Liability Company (LLC) "Techoil". The lawsuit was lodged by the regional "Rosprirodnadzor" (Agency for Nature Supervision) on numerous complaints of residents of the Territorial Public Self-Government (known as "TOS") "Divnogorskiy".

For several years residents of the district of private houses in the Voroshilov District of Volgograd have been complaining to "Rosprirodnadzor" against emissions of petroleum products into the atmosphere.

The permits available with the "Techoil" do not include emissions from the furnace for warming-up raw materials, which was named a "samovar" by local residents, the V1 reports.

This particular furnace hampers the comfortable living of citizens in the houses of Uzhgorod, Tatischev, Gurzuf, Ivanovo and Morflotskaya Streets. During emissions, children and elderly people in the township suffer from allergic reactions, nausea, nosebleeds and asthma, experts from the Information Ecological Centre "Volgograd-Ecopress" assert.

"The studies conducted by the laboratory of round-the-clock ecological service after residents' complaints have revealed a 26-times excess of exposure limits in phenol, benzene and other petroleum products in soil of the residential area, where the 'Techoil' is located," the IA "City of Heroes" quotes Elena Vasilieva, Director of the "Volgograd-Ecopress", as saying.

The officials of the "Techoil" stated their complete innocence and promised to bring all the necessary permits to the next session, the "Volgograd Business Television" reports.