More than 50 measures to reduce atmospheric emissions were implemented in 2009 in the Vitebsk region

January 27, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. More than 50 measures to reduce atmospheric emissions were implemented in the Vitebsk region in 2009. This was announced today at the final board meeting by the Chairman of the Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Ruslan Vinokurov, BELTA correspondent reports. The total cost of their implementation amounted to Br87 billion. Thus, to reduce air pollution, 20 gas cleaning units were built and 15 were reconstructed last year. The dust removal system at JSC "Ceramic Gravel Plant" (Novolukoml) was modernized, and the first block of an energy-technological cogeneration unit was built at the "Polimir" plant. Also, 1.2 thousand out of 1.5 thousand gas cleaning units were registered. A number of other measures were implemented to improve technological processes, reduce gross emissions, and introduce modern gas cleaning systems at the region's enterprises. In 2009, emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere from the region's economic entities amounted to over 86 kg per 1 inhabitant. A significant decrease in the pollution level by solid particles, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide was noted. At the same time, due to the increase in the volume and depth of oil processing at JSC "Naftan" in Novopolotsk, cases of increased air pollution with hydrogen sulfide have increased. In addition, due to the transition of large energy facilities, including the Lukomlskaya GRES, to burning fuel oil, the gross emission of pollutants in 2009 increased by 9% compared to the previous year and amounted to 138 thousand tons, stated Ruslan Vinokurov. -0-