Environmentalists: problems of post-Olympic Sochi remain unattended

According to members of the Sochi Ecological Council, the sitting on the status of the ecology in the post-Olympic Sochi was fruitless – the officials who spoke at the sitting gave not a single substantive answer. Ecologists intend to voice the issue out again to the authorities at the next meeting scheduled for March 28, hoping to receive more specific answers.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, Sergey Boreisha, an official of the water utility, spoke about new treatment facilities and technologies; however, Vladimir Kimaev, an ecologist and the head of the Sochi branch of the "Yabloko" Party, expressed doubts that water quality in Sochi would be normal.

The participants of the meeting also looked at the reasons why the purification facilities had not been taken into operation. According to the above official, the new facilities were not put into operation by the Sochi "Vodokanal" (water and drainage system), because the tender was not held – the winner of the tender will be entitled to operate the facilities.

Despite the fact that the activists received no answers to their questions, Vladimir Ostapuk, the chairman of the Ecological Council, has noted the importance of the event at least for highlighting the range of environmental issues that must be addressed at the city level.

In February, the Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said that the status of the Black Sea near Sochi had improved thanks to the new purification facilities.