The newspaper “Science in Siberia” reported on the discussion during the general meeting of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where scientists touched upon the problems of monitoring and controlling the state of the environment, in particular that of the Krasnoyarsk Region.

The director of the Institute of Biophysics of SB RAS, academician Andrei Degermendzhi drew the attention of colleagues to the ambiguity of the situation with the composition of the Yenisei water.

“The reactors in Zheleznogorsk were shut down, but there are still radioactive particles in the river. It is not known where the leakages are located, how they occur, states the scientist. - So far, no meaningful conversation has been achieved with the administration of the Mining and chemical combine. Meanwhile, there is a efficient laboratory of radioecological research at the Institute of Biophysics of SB RAS, which could carry out gamma-ray imaging of the Yenisei river banks”. The academician proposed to contact the recently replaced administartion of the combine with the initiative of organizing a joint complex expedition similarly to the Great Norilsk Expedition.

“This is a serious problem, the Yenisei was ignored in drawing up the national project “Ecology”, - underlines the chairman of SB RAS, academician Valentin Parmon - Recently, we have been conducting an intensive  and efficient dialogue with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government Victoria Abramchenko, who is responsible for the environmental situation. So, the questions to be asked should be precise and well-grounded. "

The corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Kabanikhin highlighted the problem of the air quality in industrial Siberian cities at the example of Krasnoyarsk: “There is a very specific picture of the movement of air masses, which results in a steady smog with an abundance of particles harmful to humans. In our Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics, SB RAS, effective models of this and similar processes have been built. " Valentin Parmon emphasizes that the issue of the necessity to simulate air flows in Krasnoyarsk and other cities has already been raised by Siberian scientists in the process of creating the federal program "Clean Air". The Chief Scientific Secretary of SB RAS, Academician Dmitry Markovich notes that several teams are working on similar problems at the institutes under the scientific and methodological guidance of the Siberian Branch: “It is necessary to unite efforts and present a unified program to the federal center”.

Academician Alexey Kontorovich outlines a wide range of environmental problems, whose  solution requires scientific studies and support: “For example, the Krasnoyarsk Region extracts and uses more and more brown coal every year. But while the Russian government declares its adherence to the Paris Agreements, the technologies for burning brown coal remain the same, being outdated, and nothing is done to start gasifying them. "  Moreover, the removal of arsenic during the mining of ore gold on the Yenisei Ridge and other sources of pollution were named by the scientist as other "unexploded bombs" for the ecology of Siberia.

Alexey Kontorovich suggested holding a special meeting of the SB RAS Presidium in the near future, dedicated to the possibilities of more active involvement of Siberian academic organizations in the study and solution of environmental problems. “We already have an efficient scientific council on the problems of Lake Baikal,” says V.N. Parmon. - In the near future, we are planning to create a similar scientific council on the ecology of Siberia and we will soon begin to discuss the candidates for its members. We also hope to create a specialized interdisciplinary center for environmental expertise within the structure of the Siberian Branch. " A.E. Kontorovich proposed to create a complex structure of the scientific council on the ecology of Siberia, consisting of thematic and territorial subcommittees. "Such decisions must be worked out very, very carefully" emphasizes the academician.

Source: Science in Siberia