Hazardous waste was stored in Mykolaiv region: almost 4 million in environmental damage

In Mykolaiv region, employees of a company who, as part of an organized group, were engaged in illegal storage and disposal of hazardous waste will be tried.

This was reported by the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the prosecutor's office, the head of the company organized a scheme for the removal, storage and disposal of waste without a license. He involved an accountant and a driver in the implementation. The accountant prepared falsified documents for participation in public procurement through the Prozorro system. As a result, the company entered into 26 contracts worth almost UAH 800 thousand with municipal and state institutions in the region, including medical facilities.

The waste was transported and disposed of at sites within the region, including in Mykolaiv. The organizer was looking for customers and places for illegal dumping, and the driver assured the customers that he had all the permits. According to the conclusions of the forensic engineering and environmental examination, the environment was damaged by more than UAH 3.5 million.

The director is currently wanted, and the materials on him have been separated into a separate proceeding. At the request of the prosecutors, the court seized the real estate of the defendants in the case for more than UAH 815 thousand. The indictment was sent to the court under articles on land pollution, unauthorized occupation of land and violation of sanitary rules, which could have led to mass poisoning.

Mykolaiv region ranked first in terms of toxic waste in the south, followed by Odesa region. The region was in a critical environmental risk zone due to the active operation of industrial and agricultural enterprises. In 2024, enterprises in Mykolaiv region generated almost 29 thousand tons of hazardous waste and put the region in the red zone in terms of toxic load.

Tons of hazardous chemicals from the Soviet era were found in villages in Mykolaiv region. These substances used to be used to treat plants against pests. The chemicals, which have been stored in warehouses for many years, were discovered by the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwest District. Environmentalists checked two warehouses - within the Pervomaisk community and Sinyukhino-Bridske community.

Катерина Глушко