The amount that Norilsk Nickel will pay to the federal budget as part of a record fine will go to targeted programs run by the Ministry of Natural Resources. This was reported in the press service of the Ministry of Finance, RIA Novosti reports.
It is not known what specific purposes the money will be directed to. The department suggested contacting the Ministry of Natural Resources to find out if they have any plans regarding the funds.
The representative of the Ministry of Finance explained that at first part of the money will go to the budget under the code “payments for claims for compensation for damage caused to water bodies in federal ownership”, and then they will be sent to the government reserve fund.
In turn, Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko said that the money should be spent in a targeted way, and most of it should go to environmental projects. What is proposed to be done in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and separately in Norilsk, she did not specify, but promised that she would personally monitor the costs, writes RBC.
The accident in Norilsk occurred on May 29. The diesel fuel storage tank partially collapsed due to the sharp subsidence of the supports, after which about 21 thousand tons of fuel got into the soil and the river. Rospotrebnadzor estimated the damage caused at 148 billion rubles.
Norilsk Nickel did not agree with this assessment, the company was ready to give only 21.4 billion rubles. However, the Arbitration Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory almost completely satisfied the department’s claim, imposing a fine of 146 billion and 177 million rubles. The company promised to carefully study the decision and did not rule out the possibility of an appeal.