OREANDA-NEWS. March 29, 2010.  In 2009 SIBUR basic ecological indexes displayed a decrease in impact of the Company's production facilities on the environment.

Pollutant emissions to the atmosphere decreased by 7%. Generation of consumer and production waste decreased by 6%. The amount of waste water decreased in the last year by 12%.

SIBUR considers processing of the associated petroleum gas (APG) generated during oil production a major part of its ecological mission. In 2009 APG processing increased by 10% as compared to 2008 reaching 16.8 billion м3.

In 2009 the cost of environmental measures including emergency work exceeded 1.3 billion rubles. E.g. in 2009 rebuilding and construction of new waste water treatment plants were completed at Voronezhsintezkauchuk. The total capital investments in modernization of the facility and its transfer to full biological treatment for some years amounted to 800 million rubles. Burning of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) was excluded from the process at Togliattikauchuk.

SIBUR develops and improves the corporate ecological management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001: 2004 international standard. Last year the Company was awarded the National Ecological Prize in the "Global Ecology" nomination for its development and introduction. In 2009 the Ecological Code of Conduct was developed for SIBUR's employees.

The Company is also managing a number of ecological projects under charitable programs. In 2009 a regular stage of the project "Plants Give Health to Children" was realized. Under the project child welfare centers are furnished with a purposely selected set of phytocide plants.

"The petrochemical industry offers unique opportunities for decrease in the total development pressure exerted by the society on the environment," – Dmitry Konov, the President of SIBUR, told. – "Production of modern durable materials from the associated petroleum gas results in essential energy saving and in decrease in the level of usage of traditional natural resources."