Dnipropetrovsk Environmentalist hospitalized from toxic waste

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A serious case of chemical poisoning has taken place in Krasnopolye, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, and once again it is environmentalists who are forced to sound the alarm.

Two weeks ago electrolytic which local residents had used to clean rust from car roofs and bumpers was spilt on the road.  Now residents of the city are complaining that they feel ill, and Serhiy Petukhov, an environmentalist who took soil samples ended up in hospital with chemical poisoning. 

He is thankfully better now and took part in a press conference on Wednesday to warn of the problem.

He explained that after a truck in the middle of the day poured the sizzling liquid straight onto the road, virtually all local residents have suffered ill health – tickling in the throat; difficulty in breathing and other signs of chemical poisoning.

Natalya Kozhyna, Head of the Environmental Organization “For Citizens’ Right to a Save Environment” said that when they arrived a few days later, there remained an unpleasant chemical smell in the air.

The soil samples from where the spill took place were sent for a chemical analysis in an independent laboratory. This found that the soil contained 5 times the norm for concentration of lead, phosphorous and nitrogen, as well as being far in excess of the norm for concentration of iron.

The analysis makes it possible to conclude that electrolyte with lime poured over it to reduce its acidity was spilt. This has led to considerable damage to car wheels, bumpers, and of course, people’s health.

There is a lake and canal near the place of the spill, with an unidentified white liquid apparing. Locals say that it’s virtually impossible to remain close because of the acrid smell and air. The water in the lake is gray and murky. It should be noted that this water flows into the Sura River where people swim and catch fish.

Locals suspect that a factory which processes used batteries is responsible for such serious contamination of the water and air. Back in 2008 700 people in Krasnopolye signed a petition saying that they were against such production in a residential area. There was no answer and the production was launched.

Now local residents are forced to breathe contaminated air and travel on roads covered in poison.

They want to see those responsible punished and are trying to draw the attention  of the city and oblast authorities to the problem.