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In Russia, ecological disasters are common, usually due to outdated infrastructure, but the fuel spill near the city of Norilsk last May was one of the biggest in recent times.
The Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk ordered the company, one of the world’s largest nickel and palladium mining companies, to pay $ 146.2 billion. rubles (1.6 billion euros), according to a report by Nornikel.
According to the environmental group Greenpeace, this is “the largest compensation for environmental damage” in the history of Russia.
In May last year, more than 20,000 people spilled into the lakes and rivers of the Russian Arctic. tons of diesel from the tank at one of the plants of the Nornikel subsidiary.
Russia’s Rosprirodnadzor has estimated the damage caused by the accident at nearly $ 148 billion. rubles.
Nornikel promised to cover the costs of managing the bodies of water, but questioned the amount of the fine.
Svetlana Rodionova, director of Rosprirodnadzor, welcomed the court ruling on Friday.
“We won! … Thanks to everyone who cares about the environment,” he wrote on the social network Instagram.
Previously, he wrote that “for the first time in Russian history, we have declared loud and clear: ecology is everyone’s business! And the polluter will pay! “
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency in June and attacked the head of Nornikel’s subsidiary after officials said he had not called for the disaster.
Nornikel’s share price fell more than 3 percent on the Moscow Stock Exchange (1 pm Greenwich Mean Time) after the court ruled on Friday.
Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin, owner of the company, said he would “carefully evaluate” the court’s decision, but did not say whether he intended to appeal it.
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