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Foreign delegation attending “Ecology of Big City” Forum

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 24 Mar 2011 17:56:55 GMT

Environmental interest is beyond any boarders. Dozens of foreign delegations from over 15 countries took part in the Forum “Ecology of Big city” , which took place at “Lenexpo”. They all have common interests such as: environmental protection, new ecological projects and innovative technologies.

Thus, the head of Mumbai District Administration Mr. Subodh Kumar came to take part in the Forum. Mumbai is one the largest cities in the world with the population of 21 million citizens. Of course it constantly deals with all possible ecological problems. Mr. Kumar attended the official opening ceremony and visited field panel discussion “Modern Megalopolis: environmental technologies” and conference “Industrial and consumption Waste management: Russian and foreign experience”.

The visit of deputy director of the Department of technologies and environmental security of the Austrian Minister of Ecology Mr. Dorte Kunellis contributed to the development of Russian and Austrian relations and cooperation at the industrial trade fairs. Mr. Kunellis also took part in the field discussion: “Modern Megalopolis: environmental technologies”.

The Forum was also attended by the coordinator of Water Programs of Rio-de-Janeiro Government Mr. Alejandro De Bonis. His visit was conducted in the framework of two cities’ cooperation program.

South African specialists also got interested in the Forum’s business program. Derek Batte, the representative of South African State Research Energy Institute, and top managers of “Clear Sky Energy” company came to St. Petersburg to learn more about the Russian experience of energy production from the recycled waste.

Finnish delegates are traditional “Lenexpo” guests. This year they have introduced the collective exposition of Lahti Region which included: Lahden messut Oy exhibition company, LAKES Agency of Regional development and Сulminatum Innovation Oy Ltd Construction Company.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Czech Republic organized a collective Czech stand jointly with “CzechTrade” Agency. Czech companies demonstrated equipment and technologies for sewage industry, water supply, filtration and industrial air conditioning.

The delegation from Addis Ababa, headed by the City’s Mayor, Kuma Demeksa, attended the Forum on the last day. Ethiopian guests were interested in modern methods of waste collection and recycling, currently applied in big cities.

Over 160 companies from Russia, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, USA, Finland, France, Czech Republic and Sweden have taken part in the Forum “Ecology of Big City” this year.

Round table discussion “Adherence to the rules of Environmental Legislation by individuals and legal entities”

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 24 Mar 2011 15:18:31 GMT

“If there is any violation of the environmental law legal measures will be taken shortly,” – said St. Petersburg Environmental Prosecutor Julia Pykhtireva at the round table discussion “Adherence to the rules of Environmental Legislation by individuals and legal entities”, which took place on Mach 23, 3011 at “Lenexpo” complex in the framework of the International Forum “ Ecology of Big city”.

From the very beginning the Prosecutor emphasized that the information about legal control visit to the enterprise would never be announced or found anywhere. She also reminded everyone about the article 4 of the Federal Law regarding “Industrial and Consumption Wastes”: “waste always belongs to its manufacturer”. “That’s why it is required to pay for the environmental harm and compulsory waste collection at least once in 6 months”, - said Ms. Pykhtireva. She asked businessmen to be more attentive when studying environmental legislation: “We often meet your lawyers who have never heard of Water Code of the Russian Federation.

Marine Gromyko, the head of the ecological control department of the Environmental Committee, was talking

about the law adherence and essential control visits. “One enterprise managed to organize its own dump at the premises and received the notification to eliminate it. Soon they submitted the documents and photos, which confirmed that the prescribed notification had been successfully fulfilled. But it was obviously seen even in the photo that the dump was not eliminated but simply moved away”, - said Marina Gromyko.

The Senior Ecologist of OSC “Baltica Brewing Company” Anna Dukhovskaya was talking about the way her company managed to follow ecological standards, set by the Environmental Legislation of the Russian Federation. Company’s ecological policy prescribes special environmental behavior: reduction of harmful emissions, resource-saving technologies and safe waste utilization.

Many people are concerned about the Environmental Legislation. The discussion was visited by so many specialists that even the speakers did not have enough time to answer all questions.

“Pure water of big cities”

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 23 Mar 2011 17:18:04 GMT

The conference “Pure water of big cities”, which took place on March 23, 2011 in “Lenexpo” in the framework of “Ecology of Big City», was devoted to the development of water supply.

Conference participants discussed new technologies of water treatment and drinking water supply problems. The director of the department of industrial control and technologies of the State Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal St. Petersburg” Vladimir Gvozdev told about the new technologies of water treatment, currently applied in St. Petersburg. Since 2003 the city has changed the technology of water treatment with the help of safe chemicals: liquid chlorine has been replaced with Sodium hypochlorite and ammonia with ammonium sulfate. Moreover, the new water treatment sector will soon appear at the South Water Plant. But despite all measures, our tub water still cannot be recommended for drinking. The new program “Pure Water”, which will last till 2025, suggests producing 100% of water with the help of modern technologies and reducing of losses caused by transportation to 6 % and power consumption to 46%. All these measure will completely supply St. Petersburg population with pure water. The problem of drinking water in the city’s suburbs still exists: it has been recently confirmed by the situation in Kolpino, which brightly demonstrated ineffective work of “Vodokanal” specialists.

The conference participants introduced new treatment systems models. Specialists could learn about hybrid technologies of water treatment and ferrate technologies of disinfection.

Besides, conference participants were demonstrated “Flottweg” decanters, BOC system of water treatment and “Damba” water treatment system, applicable for rainwater.

Round table discussion “St. Petersburg Sanitary System”

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 23 Mar 2011 11:11:32 GMT

Investments and licensing standards and conditions were discussed on March 22, 2011 at “Lenexpo” in the framework of “Ecology of Big City” during the round table discussion “St. Petersburg Sanitary System”.

St. Petersburg has only 9 road cleaning enterprises. Igor Ivanov, the head of the Unitary Enterprise “St. Petersburg Territorial Management Center” reported that despite 332 sm of snow, which had covered the city in winter; road services managed to avoid complete transport collapses. Besides, preliminary treatment of road surface was performed during the season. He confessed that it caused much “snow mud” but the substance was easy to clean. Unfortunately, parked cars often caused much trouble for road cleaners as they had to lift vehicles, shuffle the snow and then put the car back. All snow was brought to 67 special “Snow centers”. At present road services are fighting road ice and during the period from April 01to April 30, 2011 all roads will be checked and repaired after the damaging winter period. This year the budget, specially allocated for road cleaning and maintenance equipment, is 5 billion rubles.

Artem Pavlovsky, the director of Project Analysis Department of “Scientific and Research Center of St. Petersburg General Engineering Plan”, was talking about the problems with sanitary territories reservation. Unfortunately, Mr. Pavlovsky avoided the question about the construction works, currently performed in Yanino village, saying that “his department works with St. Petersburg only”.

“Ecomobile” will be one of the city events, conducted in St. Petersburg this week. The senior specialist of the Committee for Nature Resource Management, Environment and Ecological Security Alexey Trutnev said that “Ecomobile” had already collected 722 dangerous wastes (mercury thermometers, batteries, luminescent lamps, expired chemicals and drugs, old office equipment). But this system still needs some improvement; specialists now decide how to make it convenient and available for all environmentally –friendly citizens.

Many round table’s participants believe that St. Petersburg has all the chances to become Russian Ecological Capital, but it is essential to work hard and develop city’s and country’s ecological policy.

Conference “Industrial and consumption waste management: Russian and foreign experience”

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 22 Mar 2011 18:32:06 GMT

One of the conclusions made at the conference, which took place at “Lenexpo” exhibition and congress center on March 23, 2011 in the framework of “Ecology of Big City” . Forum, was the idea that “self-organization of business society is essential for successful waste management business in Russia”.

“One of the main obstacles for the development of Russian environmental policy is manufacturer’s responsibility: the related law has been considered in our Duma for 8 years already,”- said many conference participants including Petr Bobrovsky, PR vice-president of the National Tare Union. His report was devoted to the legislative support of tare and package recycling. “Europe has been successfully working with recycled materials; it helps to avoid landfields”, - said Mr. Bobrovsky. He was also one of the first speakers who mentioned the necessity to implement personal responsibility for products recycling, borne by the manufacturer.

The issue was also discussed by Vera Stepanenko, the deputy and chairman of the environmental department of Moscow Duma. Her report was based on the results of the environmental policy research, conducted in Czech Republic and Poland. Moscow still keeps its waste on the territory of Moscow Region and there are no legal standards able to change the situation. “When even not the most progressive European countries as Poland and Czech Republic had worked out such legal act before they entered the EU”. The presentation of “Industrial and Consumption Waste Management” system was also focused on State waste management standards.

Stanislav Shytkov, the deputy director of the Regional Purchase Department of “Baltica” brewing company, was talking about their experience of glass tare collection and reuse. “206 tare centers are working in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, but it is not enough. In 2010 we managed to collect only 23 % of all glass tare”, - said Mr. Shytkov. But the system is successful and profitable, because it’s easier to reuse old tare than to make new bottles.

Aina Kudryashova, thermal physics engineer and director of Russian Project Department of BRT Recycling Systems GmbH introduced “a special bag-opener”. She believes that such equipment is absolutely essential for the efficient waste sorting. The president of “RosInveco” Company Vera Yakovleva told about ВНS sorting systems, and Georgy Traidakalo – about crushing equipment, produced by HAMMEL Company. Some equipment samples are also introduced at the exposition.

The problem of waste recycling and reuse has become very important for Russia within last years. Huge territories, which could be used for industrial objects, are taken by the landfields. Therefore, some work is being done; the problem still needs legal State solutions.

St. Petersburg should become the cradle of “Green Revolution”

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 22 Mar 2011 17:25:46 GMT

The slogan was voiced at the panel discussion “Modern Megalopolis: environmental technologies”, which took place at “Lenexpo” Complex in the framework of “Ecology of Big City”. One of the revolutionary ideas was announced by the expert of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and specialist of the Scientific and Research Center of Environmental Security of the Russian Academy of Science Mikhail Begak.

Mikhail suggested developing of special regional ecological standards applied to synthetic detergents used in the Baltic Regions. These standards should control the amount of phosphorus similar to the existing European Standards.

Excessive phosphorus and nitrogen wastes – so-called nutrients, cause water Eutrophication.

Phosphorus and nitrogen are regarded as the main factors of blue and green weeds overgrowing, that’s why HELCOM standards, recommended for treated phosphorus waste dumped into the Baltic Sea, are less than 0.5 mg per liter.

At present “Vodokanal St. Petersburg” copes with the prescribed standards at great financial expense, but the amount of phosphorus waste constantly grows. According to the research conducted at Kolpino Treatment Plant, the amount of phosphorus in the sewage has grown by 2.5-3 times within last 10 years. Although, this region does not have any specific pharmaceutical, chemical or paper industries, which can be the result of high phosphorus rate. “The reason” is obvious: the situation is caused by domestic detergents.

European countries, including Baltic neighbors, follow the EU Directive 648/2004 and implement strict limitations for phosphorus used in the detergents. Since March 10, 2010 Great Britain has banned all domestic detergents with more than 0.4 % of phosphorus. Since June 2010 Latvia has banned detergent with over 0.5 % of phosphorus. Similar standards are used in Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and other EU countries.

“Russian standards allow 18% of phosphate salts in the domestic detergents. But as a rule the amount can reach 30% and even more. Unfortunately, even the leading hygienic “monsters” as Henkel, Procter and Gamble and otherd, which follow all European regulations with their European production, easily violate all prescriptions here in Russia,” – said Mr. Begak.

Mikhail Begak believes that general phosphorus standards for Baltic Region could be the first step, and then there should be voluntary certification for manufacturing enterprises, stimulated by the State purchase orders, and social advertizing in Mass Media. All these should end up with special technical detergent standard, which will set possible chemical amount similar to European standards.

But it is impossible to solve the problem with St. Petersburg Government or other Federal Subjects in the Baltic Region only. The situation should be also worked out by the Federal and Legislative Authorities.

“Garbage Revolution”, described by Alexey Meshkov, the director of St. Petersburg Unitary Enterprise “Waste Recycling Plant II”, at the plenary discussion, will also depend on their cooperation.

Unfortunately, our excising system of waste management does not regard the recycler as independent and peer entity of the recycling business and does not guarantee him supply of appropriate waste products, loading and even profit-making.

Communal fees paid by the city citizens include waste collection and transportation, so House Managing company concludes service agreement with transport company instead of the recycler.

Due to the ineffective system of State control, may transport companies do not bring collected cargo wastes to the recycling plants as it requires certain expenses, but bring it to the landfield as it’s less pricy or simply dump everything into the nearest ravine.

“There is no connection between waste producer and recycler and it will turn the program of separate waste collection into a complete failure”, - considers Mr. Meshkov. Their Waste Recycling Plant has managed to organize a full waste supply for the period of 2011 for their main enterprise in Yanino and 65% supply for their regional branch in Volkhov. It has resulted from a series of very tense negotiations.

A. Meshkov considers that changes in the current legal documents are essential. They will enable House Managing Companies conclude agreements with waste recyclers directly, and they themselves will organize waste transportation. He also thinks that rates for waste storage services should be increase and comply with real expenses. Current rates do not take into consideration compensation for the environmental damage and landfields maintenance – degassing, reclamation and etc.

Gabriella Lindholm, the chairman of Helsinki Comission wishes all Baltic Countries to work as Russia does

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 21 Mar 2011 12:21:30 GMT

ST. PETERSRBUG, March 21 /SPB-TASS reporter Olga Pavlova/. Gabriella Lindholm, the chairman of Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) wished all Baltic countries to work as Russia. She has said that today at the conference “National program of Baltic Sea ecological system’s treatment and rehabilitation”, conducted in “Lenexpo” in the framework of "St. Petersburg Ecological Week” .

According to Ms. Lindholm, “at the Ministry meeting in Moscow in May 2010 Russia introduced a new ambitious plan of Baltic Sea rehabilitation. Moreover, it has already got essential financial support”. These are large investments into the construction and upgrade of treatment systems in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad region.

“ We have little time to conduct Baltic program as recommended HELCOM standards should be reached by the end of 2020”, - emphasized Igor Maidanov, the deputy Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. We will have to reconstruct and upgrade 283 municipal treatment plants (which make 60 % of all existing treatment systems in the North-West region). They annually bring to the Baltic Ecological system 2.5 million m3 of sewage waters.
Besides, it is planned to build 77 environmentally friendly dung storages, mostly situated in the Leningrad Region. These measures will reduce the amount of nitrogen by 140 tons and 400 tons of phosphorus constantly dumped into the sea.

“We understand our Baltic neighbors concern about HELCOM’s “red spot” – Krasniy Bor landfill near St. Petersburg”, - said Mr. Maidanov. The question has been already discussed at the Cabinet’s meeting on March 01, 2011. The deputy minister announced that it had been decided to give 40 million from the Federal Budget and 30 million from St. Petersburg Budget for the landfill reconstruction.

By 2015 even before the end of Baltic project 133 sewage spots of St. Petersburg will be closed and 98 % of city’s sewage - treated.

All Conference participants stressed the importance of environmental situation in St. Petersburg –the largest urban dwelling in the Baltic area. They highly evaluated all environmental work done in the Northern Capital. In 2010 the amount of Russian sewage was reduced by 3 million m 3 due to the construction of new treatment plants in St. “Petersburg. “St. Petersburg Vodokanal” is now successfully coping with HELCOM requirement on biogen and phosphorus reduction”, - said the deputy director of “Vodokanal” Anatoly Kinebas. The amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the City’s stock wastes does not exceed 10 mg per liter and 0.5 mg per liter. Mr. Kindbas stressed that “other cities and Baltic “Vodokanals” should join this initiative as well”.

International Forum “Ecology of Big City” starts working in St. Petersburg

webmaster@lenexpo.ru (webmaster@lenexpo.ru) — 21 Mar 2011 10:06:09 GMT

ST.PETERSBURG, March 21, /SPB-TASS reporter Nicolay Kondratenko/ . The problems of environmental security will be discussed at the International Forum "Ecology of Big City” which opens today in St. Petersburg. The Forum is one of the main events of "St. Petersburg Ecological Week” , conducted by the regional administration.

The event is organized by JSC “Lenexpo” in assistance with the Plenipotentionary of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-West Federal District, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Regional Development, Russian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and different field associations. The list of participants includes over 160 companies from Russia, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, USA, Czech Republic and other countries.

“Ecology of Big City» is aimed to promote and implement Russian innovative environmental equipment and technologies, which help to save natural resources, improve environmental security and quality of life for the city citizens. All this is reflected at 4 field industrial expositions:”Waste management: technologies and equipment, “Water treatment”, “Environmental services and equipment” and “Air treatment”.

Here Russian and foreign demonstrate their latest developments in waste recycling, sewage treatment, equipment and ecological monitoring, consulting and etc. The ecological action “Ecomobile” will take place at “Lenexpo” premises and will demonstrate hazardous waste collection. “The Unitary enterprise “St. Petersburg Vodokanal” will organize business trips to the South-West Treatment Plant and South Water Station. And “Baltika” company will share their environmental experience.

Unfortunately, current ecological situation in the country can be evaluated as tense, and all issues selected for the Forum’s discussion are of high importance. Within last 10 years country’s ecological situation demonstrates the growth of waste which even exceeds country’s industrial growth. Only waste-free technologies will be able to improve the situation and much attention is paid to these problems at the Forum