OREANDA-NEWS. Raisa Buneeva, Ilim's Bratsk Mill Manager, spoke at the meeting of the Environmental Steering Committee of the Irkutsk Oblast held in Irkutsk on April 9, 2013. The meeting focused on the environmental situation in Bratsk.

At the meeting Raisa Buneeva shared her view on Bratsk Mill environmental performance, production control over sources of emissions and air condition at the Mill as well as actions taken to mitigate human-induced pollution, in particular in unfavorable weather conditions. Managers of other major Bratsk enterprises (JSC RUSAL Bratsk and TPP-6 of JSC Irkutskenergo) also reported on their environmental projects at the meeting.

Raisa Buneeva has commented that Ilim is an environmentally responsible company and implements many projects and initiatives aimed at mitigation of its environmental footprint. Currently the Company is building a new state-of-the-art fiberline under the large-scale Big Bratsk project costing over USD 800 million. Bratsk Mill upgrade will significantly improve environmental performance of the Company. In March 2013 a new state-of-the-art NCG collection and incineration system was started under the Big Bratsk project. New equipment is efficient means of reducing the unpleasant smell generated during operations. The next stage aimed to reduce the environmental footprint is the start up of a new fiberline under the Big Bratsk project followed by gradual shutdown of the obsolete softwood production line.

Raisa Buneeva has also informed of special operating rules the Mill follows in unfavorable weather conditions which involves tighter control on the part of the Mill over compliance with the process conditions, operation, function of wastewater treatment plants, instrumentation, and limitation of equipment operation. Furthermore, scheduled atmospheric air control at the boundary of the Mill's sanitary protection zone and in other districts of the city is subject to regular follow-up. Additionally to scheduled inspections, Mill employees perform additional measurements based on any complaints from the community received by the city administration. Generally the Mill performs about 4,500 scheduled and unscheduled air tests a year.