Residents of Kuban alarmed by distribution of contaminated sand across region

Sand cleared of fuel oil is being transported from the Voskresensky farm yard not far from Anapa to various villages and towns in the Krasnodar Territory to simulate the safe disposal promised by the authorities, residents of Kuban complain.

On May 15, the Kuban operational headquarters reported on the progress of cleaning and removing sand contaminated with fuel oil from the Voskresensky farm yard. According to the information released by officials, the material is being cleaned at the “Grokhot” installation, after which the “cleaned and non-toxic sand,” tested by a certified laboratory, is being sent to the “Terra-N” LLC solid waste landfill in Novorossiysk. “The portion of oil products in the material does not exceed 1.2%,” the operational headquarters reported in its statement.

According to the headquarters’ report, the sand is planned to be used for filling in fire sites, reconstructing the landfill, constructing road foundations, and even making building solutions. Alexei Yelizarov, the director of the “Terra-N” landfill, has confirmed that the sand was used to extinguish the fire inside the dump and that it will now be used to “strengthen the territory,” the “Mash” Telegram channel reported.

According to the authorities’ reports, the sand is safe, but people have doubts about that. We will seek an inspection

Activists interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” express their doubts concerning the veracity of the official information: they believe that the authorities decided to “close the problem” of dangerous sand by transporting it throughout the region.

“The very first piles with sand bags are still lying in our Voskresensky farm yard. But in fact, no one reports to us who is transporting what and where,” complained Marina Shevelyova, a resident of the Voskresensky farm yard.

Environmentalist Tatiana Tribrat, a member of the environmental council under the Mayor of Novorossiysk, has confirmed the lack of reliable information about the safety and purpose of the sifted sand. “According to the authorities’ reports, the sand is safe, but people have doubts about that. We will seek an inspection,” the environmentalist emphasized.

Residents of the village of Rayevskaya, which population is about 40,000 people, are also concerned, states Victoria Karamalyuk, a member of the “Environmental Watch for Northern Caucasus” (EcoWatch) and the Council for Environmental Safety under the Mayor of Novorossiysk.

“People are digging wells here, they live due to the water from the wells. And now officials want to bring fuel oil sand here. They are planning to repair the street with this sand, but there is a river nearby that flows into the sea,” the environmentalist explained to the “Caucasian Knot”.

The appeal signed by residents of the Rayevskaya village, which was made available to the editorial office of the “Caucasian Knot”, mentions a contract for 145 million roubles, under which the contaminated sand would be delivered to the village. The villagers request the authorities to report specific addresses for waste disposal, storage conditions, disposal methods, and the degree of fire hazard.

“Even purified sand cannot be used near residential areas or landfills, as this increases the risk of secondary pollution. Fuel oil contains heavy hydrocarbons, which migrate when they enter the soil and water, poisoning everything around. By distributing this sand to villages, officials are only masking the problem. Such actions violate the rights of citizens to a safe environment,” emphasized environmentalist Valery Brinikh.

He has drawn attention to the fact that no statements by the authorities will replace independent and public research. “If the sand is safe, let them publish the analyses, make them publicly available. Until this is done, there is no trust,” the environmentalist concluded.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 16, 2025 at 04:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.