Impact of the long-time armed conflicts on the ecological safety of industrial objects

Abstract


 
 
 The article analyzes the consequences of pollution from industrial enterprises, as well as the risks of disruption of operation and flooding of mines. The armed conflict in the East of Ukraine led to serious environmental consequences – it is the pollution of groundwater, water bodies, air pollution, decommissioning of large areas of arable land, destruction and damage to objects of the nature reserve fund, forest fires, etc. It has been shown that in areas where the armed conflict continues, there has been significant pollution of the environment with chemical toxic substances, metal fragments and heavy metals due to artillery shelling and the use of explosives. As a result, numerous funnels were formed, which mutilated the land and destroyed natural protected areas, flooded mines, built fortifications, ditches, and damaged sewage and water supply networks. Risks associated with damage to communications, businesses and other facilities that pose an increased environmental risk, increase the scale of the negative impact. The problem of flooding of mines and excessive mineralization of waters, which are the part of the production process, is very relevant for both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Solving this problem requires significant efforts from both the Ukrainian state and international environmental organizations. The main problem is that the mines are located in both controlled and uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government. The fate of coal mines in the territory not controlled by t government of Ukraine is uncertain and requires control by international organizations that are able to conduct monitoring activities. The coal industry in the EU is at «coal-out phase», i. e. at the stage of gradual abandonment of coal mining. First of all, this is dictated by the EU’s course to reach a carbon-free economy by 2050, which means the gradual abandonment of coal generation and the transition to renewable energy sources. And also in accordance with the EU Directive No787 in 2010 On the need to close unprofitable mines.