Russia: Tailings pipe spill at Norilsk Nickel threatens Taimyr's rivers and lakes
At the world's largest nickel mine and smelter, Norilsk Nickel on Taimyr peninsula in Norther Siberia, a severe pipeline spill has occured. Taimyr is home to some 20,000 indigenous Dolgans and Nenets, most of which depend on reindeer herding, hunting, fishing and gathering for their survival. The industrial city of Norilsk with some 200,000 inhabitants located in the peninsula although administratively separate from it, is considered one of the world's most polluted cities.
As the Association of indigenous peoples of Taimyr writes on facebook, slurry pipeline has broken and is releasing a large amount of toxic slurry into the river Daldykan. Further, the pollution is expected to reach the lake Pyasino, Pyasina river, which is a fishing ground of the highest category and end up in the Arctic Ocean.
The association reports that they are sending appeals to the environmental structures of Krasnoyarsk krai, the territory into which Taimyr was incorporated a decade ago. They comment on the situation: "As we know, the Arctic nature is fragile, but it is very common for industrial companies to consider it an obstacle to the generation of superprofits.
According to Wikipedia, the company had a turnover of 11 billion USD in 2014 and yielded a net profit of 2 billion.
Tags: Land rights, Climate
