OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2009.   EuroChem-BMU LLC, a EuroChem company in Krasnodar Territory, is completing the biological stage of a soil remediation project on a spot where production waste used to be stored. In late October, within optimal time from the agrochemical standpoint, at the place of the former liquid waste storage with an area of 25 hectares, the specialists of State Unitary Enterprise Krasnodarlesprom will begin planting over 6,500 1,5 meter chestnut, ash tree, lime tree, willow and pine tree saplings. Recommendations of Kuban agriculturists were taken into consideration when choosing the saplings.

Preparation is already under way: the soil has been disked, holes for planting are being dug, organic fertilizers are being brought in to form optimal soil mix. A fire line will be made along the perimeter of the site to protect the future park form fire. To fight quarantine weeds, a possibility is being considered to sow yellow melilot, clover and other podded plants. Weeding will be performed during two years after planting.

Last year, as part of the technical stage of remediation, some 630,000 tons of neutralized phosphogypsum (a by-product of EuroChem-BMU’s production) was put into the former sludge dump, and 538,000 m3 of soil was brought in. At that time, over 200 trees were planted as an experiment.

This is a unique environmental project in terms of scale in the Krasnodar Territory. It is no accident that Yuri Trutnev, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, awarded EuroChem-BMU LLC with a prize and diploma of the contest “Best Environmental Project 2008” in the nomination “Environment Protection Technologies”.

The remediation of soil in the territory is being guided by Kuban scientists pursuant to an agreement between EuroChem-BMU and the Kuban State Agricultural University. By the end of 2009, a research report will be prepared, containing research papers, including the results of lab tests of the composition of the soil and agricultural products it yields with the use of neutralized phosphogypsum as an ameliorant.