Ecological Council under Kuban Governor claims that marlstone mining near Abinsk should be stopped

Members of the Public Ecological Council under the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory have opposed the exploration and mining of marlstones (cement raw material) at sites of Abinsk, Erivan, and Shapsuga located in the Abinsk District of the Krasnodar Territory. Besides, during the meeting, it was proposed to hold a workshop to determine the feasibility of establishing a special protected area in the Abinsk District of the Krasnodar Territory.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the main topic of the meeting held on September 11 was the issue of the planned use of mineral resources for mining of marlstones at the three sites located within the boundaries of the municipality "Abinsk District".

According to the opinion of Evgenia Shemyakina, Chair of the Council of the municipality "Abinsk District", mining of cement raw materials in the mountainous part of the Abinsk District threaten the destruction of the natural landscapes of the basins of the Skibido and Abin Rivers. Besides, those works will have general negative impact on the environment of the territory.

Local authorities also generally do not support the idea of marlstone mining in the Abinsk District. This was reported by Andrei Chabanets, the head of the Abinsk District.

In his turn, Andrei Rudomakha, a coordinator of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", called the decision made by the Council a "zero". According to his version, the guaranteed preservation of natural systems and cultural and historical monuments of Shapsuga is possible only if a natural park will be established in its territory.