Water protection

Organisations emitting polluting substances into the ambient air, those discharging polluting substances into water bodies and those generating and disposing of class I to V wastes have to apply revised environmental pollution fee rates for all discharges and emissions made from 1 January 2020.

The amendment applies to water users, both legal entities and individuals, whose rights to use water bodies were forcibly terminated by a court decision for the misuse of a water body or use of a water body in violation of the law. Such “bad” water users will be recorded in the special register. This register will also include information on the winners of the auction for the right to conclude a water use agreement, who evaded its conclusion and thus also became “bad” water users.

A number of Hygienic Norms have been adopted that prescribe the maximum permissible concentrations for certain polluting substances in workplace air, ambient air of residential areas and in water bodies used for drinking and municipal purposes.

Workplace air

As of 1 January 2019, facilities discharging wastewater into centralized water discharge systems must do so on the basis of “wastewater composition norms” that are to be set individually for each facility.

The amendments adopted by Federal Law No. 225-FZ, clarify and define wastewater purification responsibilities of organisations using centralized wastewater discharge systems and organisations operating those systems.

A permit to drill a groundwater well is to be issued to organisations that perform such drilling and have the necessary technical capacity and sufficiently qualified personnel.

 In order to apply for a permit, the applicant must submit a permit application to the local hydro-geological station.  A permit is to be issued for each well separately.