A Russian industrial company in the strategic Far East region of Kamchatka has been ordered by a court to pay a significant fine for environmental damage in a protected coastal area. The case highlights the ongoing tension between industrial development and environmental preservation in one of Russia’s most ecologically sensitive territories.
The Kamchatsky Ship Repair Center JCS was taken to court by Russia’s federal environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, following an inspection of Rakovaya Bay. Investigators discovered that an area of over 1,000 square meters within the bay’s water protection zone had been contaminated with industrial waste. Furthermore, the company was found to have illegally removed the fertile topsoil from a 350-square-meter section of the land.
Initially, the environmental damage was calculated at nearly 3.9 million rubles. However, following a judicial review, the Arbitration Court of the Kamchatka Krai ordered the company to pay over 2.1 million rubles (approximately $23,000 USD) to compensate for the harm caused to the soil. The company was also ordered to cover court fees.
The ship repair center did not dispute the facts of the land contamination and soil removal, stating that the activities were part of preparatory work for constructing a site for a floating crane. Despite this, the company has formally appealed the court’s ruling, signaling that the legal dispute over corporate environmental responsibility in the Russian Pacific is set to continue.