Novokuybyshevsk joins the BreatheLife campaign to enhance ecological sustainability:

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The city of Novokuybyshevsk, which has more than 100,000 residents, has set a goal to meet WHO air quality guidelines by 2030.

The local government, with the help of the Russian ecological society, has planned to add more urban parks and green spaces, improve solid waste collection, recycling and management, develop better household energy efficiency, increase renewable electricity sources and regulate emissions by industry.

The local government has undertaken to reduce by half the amount of municipal solid waste, which is sent to landfills by 2030, to develop a regional air quality standard adapted to local conditions in the next 12 months and evaluate the possibility to make additional commitments within the developed standard within 24 months.

“We commit ourselves to ensuring the improvement of solid waste management and the promotion of clean energy, engaging individual citizen activity,” said the head of the Novokuybyvshevsk district Sergei Markov. “We will support the goals of the BreatheLife campaign and take an active role as a member of the BreatheLife network.”

For several years, Novokyibyvshevsk has been working to improve the quality of air and diminish the emissions of heavy industries.  There are state standards known as maximum permissible concentrations for each pollutant with which the levels of pollutants are compared. Despite new technologies installed to measure contaminants, the problem of the city’s air quality remains an environmental concern. Over 900 resident’s complaints on air quality are registered at the Administration every year.

Since 2011, Novokuybyshevsk has established a regional State environmental monitoring system, with the participation of local government specialists. Air Quality Monitoring is carried out periodically in 12 locations in the city, including 4 fixed observation posts and a mobile laboratory to measure air pollutants.

In 2020, approximately 25,000 atmospheric air samples were selected and analyzed for 25 ingredients including, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals (iron, cadmium, magnesium, manganese, copper, nickel, lead, chromium, zinc). The levels of particulate matters – PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 are to be classified, introduced and analyzed in the nearest future.

At the request of the Department of Ecology of Novokuybyshevsk, the Administration and the Federal Governmental Body “Volga UGMS,” organized additional air pollution surveys in the urban area. From the observations, experts found 40 cases of exceeding concentrations of phenol, hydrogen sulfide, isopropyl benzene, xylene, acetaldehyde, and ethyl benzene.

Now, the city is working to develop its own evaluation system that will install better air quality standards. The Administration aims to meet all of the objectives of environmental education for all sectors of society. Environmental education for children starts from kindergarten.

In 2020, more than 200 ecological actions were held in the territory of Novokuibshevsk, including clean-ups of the Volga, Krivusha, and Tatianka rivers, Lake Sakulino, and lakes in the area of sports camp “Youth” and territory of “Soldier’s forest.”

“We have evoked sincere attention to air conditions in the city, whose history is rooted in heavy production industries,” said Chairman of the Russian ecological society Rashid Ismailov. “We will do our best in providing assistance to the Administration of the city to support the projects that will eventually move Novokuybyshevsk closer to international standards,”

Contacts:

Irina Vavilkina

ecology@nvkb.ru

 

Air quality monitoring

http://pogoda-sv.ru/monitoring/ecology_aero/sam/nov.php,

http://city-hall.nvkb.ru/index.php

 

The Russian ecological society

ecosociety.ru

[email protected]