- hot-spots
- waste
- Russian Federation
- Landfill Kuchino in Balashikha, Russia
Problems
Landfill «Kuchino» - landfill in the urban district of Balashikha, Moscow region. Kuchino Landfill appeared in 1964 on the site of a waste clay pit. By the time it was closed in 2017, its height reached 80 m in some places. The landfill took up to 600 thousand tons of waste from Moscow and different districts of the Moscow region per year. The total area of the landfill was 54 hectares, but it has spread to adjacent areas. For example, during environmental raids, spontaneous dumps were recorded from the northeastern part of the landfill, with garbage partially dumped into the floodplain of the Pekhorka River. Over the years, the landfill has grown significantly in size and capacity. As the Moscow agglomeration expanded, the volume of waste transported to Kuchino also increased. This has led to several environmental problems, including air and water pollution, soil contamination and the release of harmful gases such as methane. The expansion of the landfill and its impact on the environment has caused outrage among residents and environmental activists. Protests against the landfill's operation, its odor and environmental degradation were common, with residents demanding its closure.
Gallery
4
Timelines
2021
July
As a result of reclamation work, the body of the landfill was formed and covered with protective material that did not allow moisture and gas to pass through, and degassing systems were built to collect filtrates. To prevent the landfill from spreading due to precipitation, it was reinforced with a gabion wall about 3 kilometers long. The landfill, with an area of 42 hectares, is covered with a protective screen, and 112 wells of a degassing system are in operation. Residents of the Kuchino microdistrict and nearby settlements no longer smell unpleasant smells, the air has become 5 times cleaner.
2020
October
The Kuchino landfill stinks of landfill gas and dirty exhaust from flares that burn dirty landfill gas without purification. Data from environmental monitoring stations are not published because the landfill stinks. The filtrate flows into the Chechera and Pekhorka rivers and goes into the ground and underground waters.
2018
December
Treatment facilities for leachate are not working, although according to the state contract they were supposed to start working in the fall.
2017
June 23
The municipal solid waste landfill was closed after the “Direct Line” with the president.
June 15
The Kuchino landfill became the focus of national attention when residents complained to the president during his annual Direct Line marathon. They said the location was just 200 meters from local homes, kindergartens and hospitals. Household waste has been dumped into a former quarry in the city of Balashikha since its creation. Currently, the landfill is as tall as a 20-story building and is visible from space.
2009
ZAO Zagotovitel leased land from the Balashikha administration “for reclamation work” at the Kuchino landfill. The reception and burial of solid household waste were allowed on the site. The lease agreement was extended, and the Kuchino landfill grew, accepting garbage from Moscow and some areas of the region. The “procurer” received money, but did not engage in reclamation. Garbage was dumped around the permitted area, and eventually, the environmental situation became unbearable.
1964
The Kuchino landfill, also known as the Kuchino landfill or the Kuchino landfill, was established in the 1960s as a municipal waste dump. Initially, it served as a landfill for the disposal of household and industrial waste from Moscow and surrounding areas.