ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is ready to appeal the claims of the State Environmental Inspectorate for 450 million hryvnia in court

Kryvyi Rih, September 17, 2021 The latest claim of the State Environmental Inspection (SEI) against ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is another example of how the controlling body, speculating on public opinion, puts forward unjustified accusations and calculations of losses, like environmental institutions ... More than 450 million hryvnias of "fine" - for the fact that a metallurgical enterprise on its own, specially allocated territory places sludge, which is a by-product of sinter production and then is reused in the production of sinter. This is a standard production technology for the entire mining and metallurgical industry, and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is no exception.

The company's slurry site is a Soviet legacy, which was acquired by the new owner in 2005 when the asset was purchased. "Kryvorizhstal" had an agreed technological scheme for storing sludge at a specific site of the enterprise, and this did not harm the environment. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih still uses this technology, quickly processing sludge at the facilities of the sinter plant, preventing excessive accumulation of waste. Unfortunately, the situation began to deteriorate this year, while the sinter plant was idle, and the enterprise was awaiting permission for its operation from government agencies for five months.

SEI representatives carried out a scheduled inspection on the territory of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih in April 2021. In the documents sent to the company, they refer to data from the free Google Maps service.

“Under the threat of new fines and endless unscheduled inspections by the SEI, we see undeniable pressure on business,” says Artem Filipyev, Administrative Director of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.

“We are ready to defend our innocence in court. When a perverted body abuses public confidence and jeopardizes the investment climate, it slows down not only the country's economic development, but also the modernization of production, which would improve the state of the environment. "