OREANDA-NEWS. Altai-Koks was declared “Best environmentally responsible regional enterprise” at the Russian Industrial and Environmental Forum “RosPromEco-2013” held in Moscow on 14-15 November. The company was nominated by the Administration of the Altai Territory.

“Our participation in the Forum underlines our solidarity with those that strive for the improvement of the environment. We have confirmed our strategic commitment to reducing our environmental footprint, and we have called attention to the fact that environmental problems are most efficiently solved when all stakeholders are involved in the process,” said Pavel Lizogub, General Director of Altai-Koks.

NLMKGroup companies have a common approach to reducing the environment footprint of their operations, and meet the highest environmental standards.

The Company annually invests approximately RUB 120 million in environmental activities. In 2012, this allowed reducing specific emissions by almost 5%.

Key environmental projects at Altai-Koks include repairs of dedusting units at main production divisions; rebricking of coke oven walls; repairs of heating walls by ceramic welding; repairs of coking chamber doors, etc.

The Company has a chemical-waste storage in line with all technical and ecological requirements that is unique for the region. Most of the wastes are either recycled internally or sent to special waste-treatment companies.

The entire volume of waste water generated in the process of coke production is treated at a bio-chemical installation and is further used as makeup for the circulating water systems of the Company. The intake of fresh industrial water from Chumysh river amounts to just 3% of total water used within the Company.

Altai-Koks has a reputation for being the most environmentally friendly coke enterprise in the industry. It has almost 500 ha of land where over 7,000 coniferous and foliage trees grow.

The Environmental and Process Control Laboratory at Altai-Koks, certified by the Accreditation System for Analytical Laboratories since 1999, monitors the quality of atmospheric air in the city and within the sanitary protection zone; evaluates the impact of Altai-Koks’ operations on surface and underground water in line with the environmental legislation. Since 2012, the environmental monitoring system includes a mobile air quality monitoring station.