OREANDA-NEWS. June 16, 2008. Citizens of our planet celebrated the World Environment Day. A bit earlier, on 19 April, we celebrated a similar date at our national level. It’s difficult to call these two days holidays. Most likely, it is a remembrance of that complex ecological situation which not only Zaporozhye is experiencing, but the whole Earth. Scientists-ecologists warn that it will be very difficult to save the planet from an ecological catastrophe because we have already passed the point of non-return.

The global problem is compiled of local problems. That is why in every region the authorities try to find a person guilty of violating the ecological legislation and take measures to eliminate the drawbacks.

In Zaporozhye the authorities try to accuse Zaporizhstal of all the ecological misfortunes, forgetting about all the other large enterprises-pollutants of the environment.

Facts speak for themselves. Today Zaporizhstal is one of the most effective fighters for environmental protection. You can judge for yourself. Fulfillment of the measures planned in advance during the last 10 years have allowed to reduce emissions into atmosphere by 45%, reduce discharge of drainage water by 35%, increase secondary usage of industrial water by 86%. And this is without changing the rolling production technology. After commissioning the oxygen converter shop the air in Zaporozhye will become cleaner.

In 2007 as a result of fulfilling nature protection measures the total emission into atmosphere per ton of produced steel has reduced from 17.9 kg to 17.0 kg. But for all that in 1999 this index was 27.1 kg per ton. Almost by 10 kg in less than 10 years. And as everyone understands, this is not the limit. But this is a concrete result according to which it is possible to judge about the job performed. Work on reduction of the Dnieper River pollution is also being carried out quite effectively.

Here the Works is following a more rational road by building closed systems of water supply and sewage of industrial enterprises with the usage of treated waste water in the systems of industrial and recycle water supply and diversion of fresh water from the water sources mainly for drinking water supply.

Today the consumption of recycled water totals to 568484 thousand m3 or 80% of the Works’ total water consumption. At the Works 8 recycled systems of polluted water, total capacity 14500 m3/hour, are functioning. They allow to catch from the drainage water and return to the sintering and blast furnace production more than 200 thousand tons of iron containing slime, which is an additional source of raw material, and does not require additional expenditure for its burial.

In the course of accomplishing water protecting measures directed towards economy and rational usage of water resources, in 2000-2007 the Works achieved the following: reduction of return water drainage to the Dnieper River by 11.55 million m3; reduction of contaminants discharge into the Dnieper River by 8350 tons/year.

Thus, Zaporizhstal is doing everything to make the Dnieper River cleaner. We hope other enterprises will follow the example of Zaporizhstal, too.