Russia sues district over illegal asphalt dumping in protected coastal zone

Russia’s Far Eastern Interregional Directorate of Rosprirodnadzor has taken legal action against the administration of Khasansky Municipal District. The lawsuit, filed in the Arbitration Court of Primorsky Krai, addresses illegal dumping of asphalt and asphalt-concrete waste. The materials were left on undemarcated municipal lands near the settlement of Posyet and within a protected water zone. Unauthorised dumpsites were discovered at the entrance to Posyet and 3 kilometres from the settlement. The waste came from road repair work and covers a total area of 1,050 square metres. The disputed plots lie within the water protection zone of Expedition Bay in the Sea of Japan, with some waste dumped inside the coastal protective strip.

Rosprirodnadzor had earlier demanded compensation from the district administration for the soil damage. When the request went unfulfilled, the agency filed a lawsuit seeking 694,958 rubles in compensation. A separate environmental issue involved the illegal cutting of 229 trees in Akademichesky Eco-Park, with estimated damage of 2,948,171 rubles.

The court hearing for the dumping case is set for June 29, 2026. Previously, Vladivostok’s administration had also pursued a claim against Russian Railways in the same court for environmental harm. The lawsuit aims to recover compensation for the contaminated soil. The case highlights ongoing enforcement efforts against illegal waste disposal in protected zones. The court will determine the outcome at the scheduled hearing.