Kursk residents held a protest rally against the construction of an ammonia plant
Kursk Governor, Roman Starovoit, invited residents of the Khimvolokno district and community activists to a meeting to discuss the idea of building an ammonia plant. According to the governor, the decision has not been made yet, but the region "needs new jobs," plus the currently idling gas pipelines would be put to work.
The meeting turned into a spontaneous rally, during which the crowd shouted, "We're against it!" People were outraged by the local legislature’s decision to change the boundaries of Kursk which placed the construction site outside city limits. Starovoit explained this decision with a plan to modernize one of the thermal power stations in order to improve the heating system in the area. This cannot be done without a high-pressure gas pipe.
Representatives of the Kuibyshev Azot company also talked to the people. Back in 2007, they purchased lots in the Khimvolokno district. According to them, the company intends to develop the area and build a fertilizers complex. The company owners said that neither the construction started nor even there was a project approved by environmental agencies or by the local community.
In February, people collected over 5 thousand signatures against the construction of the plant. They called it "an ecological landmine to be planted by technocrats of the region.” In their opinion, the emissions of another factory, Ecotex, "will seem like flower scent" compared to the new plant. City residents have been fighting the textile company since 2018.
The Kursk regional administration responded to the protest by forming a commission to study the project. Officials have promised that activists, environmentalists, and people living near the construction site will be invited to discussions.