Ministry of Civil Defence Emergencies and Disaste : Update on air pollution in Moscow region as of 6 AM, 20 January 2018

Residents of the city of Moscow and towns in Moscow Region have been complaining about the smell of hydrogen sulfide since 8 December 2017.

Tests show that the source of the pollution is the Kuchino refuse dump (the town of Balashikha, Moscow Region) which is now being degassed. 55 wells have been drilled for that purpose.

56 stations of Mosecomonitoring, as well as task forces and mobile laboratories of the Emergency Ministry, Rospotrebnadzor (federal consumer rights protection authority) and Rosprirodnadzor (the federal natural resources inspectorate) are monitoring the air. No excesses of maximum permissible levels of pollutants were registered during the past 24 hours.

As complaints keep coming from residents of Moscow and Moscow Region, each of them have been attended to. The mobile labs ran some additional tests and found no excess of maximum permissible levels of pollutants.

Mosecomonitoring's stations have reported some minor excesses of maximum permissible levels of hydrogen sulfide near the Kuchino refuse dump over the past 24 hours.

According to the Russian Weather Service and All-Russian Forecasting and Monitoring Center Antistikhia, the weather is not going to have negative effect on environmental situation on 20 January.

The situation is under control.

The Emergency Ministry advises: If there is an unpleasant smell, one should avoid staying outside and limit the time of outdoor physical activity, try to not open windows, to do the cleaning with water at homes and offices, to use air conditioners and cleaners. People suffering from chronic lung problems should have medicines at hand. Children and pregnant women should avoid long walks especially along motorways. If one feels unwell, they should see a doctor.

If there is a strange smell, please call the help line of the Emergency Ministry's Moscow Directorate 8(495) 637-22-22 or Moscow Region Directorate 8(498) 505-41-70.