OREANDA-NEWS. April 25, 2012. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter referred to as MMC Norilsk Nickel or the Company) announces the results of cooperation programs with state nature reserves located in the territories of the Company’s operations, reported the press-centre of Norilsk Nickel.

MMC Norilsk Nickel devotes much attention to the environment protection. Alongside  with the programs on production modernization and new technologies implementation, the Company runs environmental protection projects, such as, for example, cooperation with state reserves.

State biosphere nature reserves located in Taymyr Dolgan-Nenets Municipal District, Taimyrsky and Putoransky nature reserves, are permanently included into MMC Norilsk Nickel’s patronage assistance program.

In 2011, the Company allocated about RUB 3 million to Taimyrsky and Putoransky nature reserves for procurement of materials and technical resources, and publication of international biological conferences’ scientific papers. Furthermore, the Company allocated funds for a joint project executed by Putoransky Reserve and Task Force on Geese and Swans in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.

As a part of cooperation with Bolshoy Arktichesky Reserve, MMC Norilsk Nickel contributed RUB 1.27 million to publish scientific papers of international biological expedition and carry out the first stage of works related to polar bear populations monitoring in the Kara Sea area. In 2012, the Company also budgeted  funds to perform the program’s second stage.

On the Kola Peninsula, MMC Norilsk Nickel and reserves implement joint projects for the environment monitoring and rehabilitation on the areas adjacent to the Company’s production sites. These projects are carried out jointly with Lapland Reserve, as well as with Pasvik Reserve in Pechenga region.

Starting from 2006, Pasvik Reserve personnel have been performing research activities related to the environmental assessment within the areas of the Company’s production facilities operation. Over the entire period of carrying out the surveys, the Company totally spent RUB 5.3 million for these purposes.

Starting from 1998, Lapland Nature Reserve personnel have been carrying out research activities to monitor the environment condition in the areas adjacent to the production facilities in Monchegorsk region. Over the entire period, the Company spent RUB 31.3 million for these purposes. Furthermore, in 2002, the Company entered into agreements with the reserve in order to determine the ways to rehabilitate the nature complexes damaged as a result of a long-term impact of the emissions generated by industrial enterprises, and to monitor the territories of Monchegorsk region and Lapland Reserve. The data obtained in the course of the researches were used as the basis for further activities on rehabilitation of damaged lands and improvement of forest lands sanitation and fire-preventing measures. The Company’s expenditures over this period amounted to RUB 10 million.