Ecological Watch: mass death of fish in pond of Maikop Distillery

Activists of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" have fixed a mass death of fish in the pond and air pollution in the Maikop District of Adygea, near the local distillery; however, the Prosecutor's Office has not confirmed the death of fish.

On May 8 and 9, activists of the Watch held an inspection – in the Pobedinskoye rural settlement near the city of Maikop – of the pond and surrounding areas adjacent to the distillery. The inspection was caused by complaints of local residents who had reported a massive death of fish in the pond.

"According to local residents, about two weeks ago the Maikop Distillery began draining its wastes into the adjacent pond, located in the floodplain of the Belaya River. As a result, masses of fish died in the pond; and the water was black," says the website of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus".

Ecologists have stated a serious air pollution. An unpleasant smell of production wastes from the ethanol facility of the Maikop Distillery, as they said, is felt even at the highway, located 350 meters away from the distillery.

The polluted air affects residents of three apartment buildings located in the vicinity of the factory, and pupils and teachers of School No. 4 in Pobeda Settlement. The smell affects also the Farm Grozny located on the opposite bank of the Belaya River. A particularly strong emission was on May 6, ecologists assert referring to locals.

After receiving the ecologists' alert, on May 10, the distillery and the pond were visited by specialists from the "Rospotrebnadzor" and "Rosselkhoznadzor" (Russian Federal Agencies for Consumer and Agriculture Supervision), officials from the Maikop District Prosecutor's Office and local policemen.

According to Victorina Lunina, an expert from the Centre, so far, the water is not dangerous, because the pond has no exit to other water; and it is not intended for public use, the GTRK "Adygea" reports.

"We haven't detected any visible violations and mass death of fish, as the 'Greens' are reporting. Meanwhile, we took water samples and requested documents from the distillery on use of the pond. After studying them, as well as of the results of ecological examinations, conclusions can be made on observance by the distillery of all environmental regulations and requirements," the "Yuga.ru" quotes Vadim Gorlov, Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Maikop District.