Russian gold miner fined millions for poisoning Khor River tributary

A gold mining company in Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory has polluted a tributary of the Khor River. The incident was uncovered by the ecological division of the regional state control authority in May. The company failed to decontaminate equipment properly and dumped untreated wastewater into the waterway. The pollution affected a 990-metre stretch of the tributary. Water samples revealed suspended solid concentrations exceeding 220 milligrams per litre. This violated Russia’s Water Code, which requires water users to prevent environmental harm.

The company has been ordered to pay 4.5 million rubles in damages to the federal budget. It must also compensate for the ecological harm caused to the tributary. Those responsible for damaging water bodies are legally required to cover the costs of restoration. This case follows another recent environmental breach in the region. Last week, a logging company was caught violating conservation laws. The mining company now faces financial penalties and mandatory remediation for its actions.