EURO-ECO 2008 Hanover 18 - 20 November 2008	Environmental and Engineering Aspects for sustainable living
	European Academy of Natural Sciences, Hanover European Scientific Society, Hanover University of Bremen, Bremen

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Belgorod oblast (oblast – official name for a Russian administrative unit) is located on southern-west and southern hillsides of Great Russian plain in the Dnieper and the Don river basins; it is included into Central Federal District (CFD) of the Russian Federation. It covers the area of 27,1 thousand km² (0,2% of the total territory of Russia). Density of the population 

56,0 people/km², the average figure throughout Russia being 8,3 people/km², which allows the oblast to be referred to the most densely populated ones. Many signs of the existing global environmental crisis are characteristic to Belgorod oblast as well in terms of natural resources and its environment.

The oblast has two large mining concentrators (Lebedinski and Stoylenski), four minesites (including two subsoil – «KMAruda» è «Yakovlevski» and two open quarries belonging to Lebedinski and Stoylenski concentrators), three ore mills, about 90 quarries of commonly spread mineral deposits, two cement factories (three more are being at the stage of design), ten large enterprises producing reinforced concrete structures and construction materials, hundreds of middle-size and small-size enterprises. All the above represent the source of environmental pollution.

In 2007 the oblast achieved high results in economic growth and firmly maintains the leading position among other regions of Russian Federation in mining industry, residential construction, development of agricultural sector. Located in the European part of Russia, they experience great anthropo- and technogenic load due to developed mining, metallurgic, chemical industries, transportation network (railways and motor vehicles), intensification processes in agriculture.

State environmental inspection, Authority on technological and environmental control in Belgorod oblast impose administrative punishment on people in responsibility or legal entities while taking controlling measures in the sphere of air protection. Typical violations of the existing rules are as follows: violations in using gas purification equipment, no permit to exhaust polluting substances into the atmosphere; violation of the established technical standards on the content of polluting substances in exhaust gases for motor vehicles.

The dynamics of the development of industrial enterprises, engaged in investment projects, aimed at technical advancement of production facilities, establishing of upgraded production units, creating a new range of products and producing competitive innovative products in 2007, allowed to increase the volume of production in general in terms of industrial activity by 9,5% (throughout the Russian Federation - by 6,3%) compared to similar conditions in 2006.

The same as for other Russian regions, the following is characteristic to our oblast as well: depletion and degradation of the subsoil, soil, forests, water bodies, deterioration of natural comfort for people, habitat and food base for flora and fauna. All the above including poaching results in the decrease in number of animals and their species.

The problems of collecting, removal, neutralization and reclamation of different types of wastes, protection of the population and the environment from their harmful effect should become the most urgent issue in strategic planning for development both of the oblast and the country in general.

Some enterprises in Belgorod oblast obtained a license to collect, transport and reclaim wastes. The enterprises reclaim such dangerous, toxic and flammable wastes as: used luminescent lamps and lamps containing mercury; used car accumulators; wastes containing oil products (old oil filters, wipers and waste; used oils, oil slam etc.); worn tires, wastes from polymer materials.

A rubbish-sorting complex in Belgorod sorts out wastes and has two lines. The productivity of each is 7,5 tons a day.

A rubbish sorting complex sorts technical and house refuse into wastes after magnetic separation, scrab ferrous metal, mixed plastic mass, not colored polyethylene, plastic bottles, broken glass. Wastes pass through the line and are sorted out using mechanized way with manual sorting at the last stage. The products sorted out are pressed and packaged by a press. Waste fraction, as refuse after the sorting, should be buried in a disposal site, meeting all requirements for sanitary facilities of this type. The resulting filtration waters are treated in a complete block unit «Biocompact», which has a certificate of compliance to sanitary and hygienic norms, where wastewaters are treated by nitri /denitrification method. The disposal site is subject to ground water monitoring (three water wells have been drilled), air monitoring at the edge of the sanitary-protecting zone, and soil monitoring. The organization operating the disposal site has the license to conduct this type of activity (removal and burial of solid wastes).

The problem of wasters coming from medical offices is urgent. A part of these wastes should be passed to Voronezh B (used syringes) or they are reclaimed at a special facility in Belgorod (fixative).

Control of these wastes still remains imperfect for municipal sphere. At the end of 2008 this organization purchased an Italian unit «Converter H 500», which makes medical wastes sterile (bandages, catheters, needles, syringes, scalpels at the temperature of 150 °C). At this temperature some wastes lose their original volume, after which the unit shreads the wastes and presses them. Recycled wastes become secondary raw materials.

Worn tires are recycled by shreading into three fractions: steel wire cord, textile cord and rubber crumb . All of the fractions are willingly used as raw material by some production facilities in the oblast.

According to Federal Law on environmental protection of 10.01.02 Nr. 7-FZ (article 30), all the enterprises should obtain a license for collection, use, neutralization, transportation, placement of dangerous wastes. This requirements refers to all types of businesses, including small-size. However obtaining a license by some businesses in the oblast and in the country on the whole will not necessarily result in careful use. Our point is that the most appropriate measure is keeping records when passing dangerous wastes to specialized organizations (acts, delivery notes). The agreement concluded can not testify to the facts that the wastes have been reclaimed.

In general , estimating the level of waste treatment, coming form production and consumption, Belgorod oblast has a positive approach. Organizations engaged in waste reclamation contribute much to creating conditions for sustainable development of Belgorod oblast.