Telegram users criticized the firefighting efforts at a landfill in Novorossiysk.

The size of the fire at the Novorossiysk landfill is not decreasing, despite efforts to extinguish it, the city's deputy mayor admitted. Telegram users deemed the authorities' efforts insufficient.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on December 1, the landfill on Mount Shchelba in Novorossiysk caught fire for the third time this year. Acrid smoke enveloped nearby villages – Borisovka, Vasilyevka, Glebovka, and Abrau-Dyurso. By December 15, the smoldering area had decreased from 250 to 180 square meters.

The smoldering area at the landfill is 110 square meters, Alexander Gavrikov, deputy head of Novorossiysk, reported on his Telegram channel on December 27, a post that was picked up by Yuga.ru.

"Eight pieces of equipment are involved in extinguishing the fire. Specialists continue to cover the smoldering areas of the landfill with soil. 721 trips have been made, removing 7,210 cubic meters of soil," the official wrote.

The day before, on December 26, the official also reported that "the smoldering area remains at the same level – 110 square meters." By this date, workers had completed 711 trips and removed 7,110 cubic meters of soil, the statement stated.

Residents' discontent is entirely justified, but we are making every effort.

"The situation is being complicated by weather conditions—strong gusts of wind are blowing smoke toward residential areas. Residents' discontent is entirely justified, but we are making every effort to quickly extinguish the fire and minimize the negative impact on the environment," the deputy mayor wrote.

As of 12:53 p.m. Moscow time on December 28, Gavrikov's two posts had 21 comments. The authors deemed the authorities' zeal insufficient. "Damn gusts of wind. If it weren't for them...," Vel quipped, among others.

Isn't it time to conclude that the measures you're taking are insufficient?

"Given that the fire's area hasn't diminished for several days, isn't it time to conclude that the measures you're taking are insufficient? And so, for your information, an area of 110 square meters is, so to speak, a plot of 10 by 11 meters, which doesn't fit the real picture at all," Dmitriy stated.

"Even with an area of 110 square meters, the garbage smolders at great depth, emitting flammable gases. The landfill has an irregular structure, landslides, and steep slopes, making it difficult for heavy equipment (bulldozers and compactors) to seal it off. "There's a lack of oxygen access to the fires. This is probably the reason for the protracted firefighting effort," SergeyKilems wrote in response.

"What are the MPCs for harmful substances in the air?" Nyuta asked.

"Due to the fire at the Terra-N LLC landfill, the Krasnodar Krai Office of Rospotrebnadzor continues monitoring the air quality near residential areas. "Based on laboratory testing, we report that no excess of maximum permissible concentrations was recorded on December 23, 24, and 25," a user with the nickname "Environmental Safety Department" responded. 1 .

"You do understand that you can see from your window what's there and by how much... Are you working for the citizens of Novorossiysk or for whom?" Anna protested.

"Monitoring is a great help, of course." "It's actually easier to breathe," Vel remarked sarcastically. "The air monitoring work will last them a long time," opined Inna.

As a reminder, in April, residents of Novorossiysk and the village of Borisovka complained of a strong burning smell and the inability to ventilate their homes. Fire suppression is complicated by a prolonged subsurface fire at the landfill, which could lead to a landslide, and the spread of leachate is already poisoning water bodies and soil, environmentalists noted.

In May, Rosprirodnadzor filed a lawsuit against the owner of the landfill near Mount Shchelba in Novorossiysk (Terra-N LLC), stating Failure to comply with environmental requirements when handling waste. During the landfill fire, specialists discovered traces of leachate in the forest near the landfill, in the Bezymyanny Stream, and the Ozereyka River.

17:26 03.04.2025

Plans to reconstruct a landfill in Novorossiysk have outraged social media users

The area of the fire at the Novorossiysk landfill has shrunk, but a decision has been made to extend its operating life for two years and conduct reconstruction. Social media users have indicated that it would be better to close the landfill and use the funds for the construction of a waste processing plant.

Residents of Novorossiysk have previously complained about the landfill. In June 2024, The landfill burned for several days last year, and in August, residents again complained of acrid smoke from the fire at the landfill. In November 2024, it became known that the landfill would be reconstructed, although it needs to be reclaimed.

By the end of 2025, two new waste disposal sites will be built at the landfill , the governor announced on August 1. Expanding the landfill will not solve the environmental problem, but will only increase the risks, including fires, according to environmentalists and local residents.

The landfill in the village of Borisovka was established in 2013; it is the only legalized waste disposal facility from Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik. The capacity of the facility is 160 thousand tons of waste per year, however, according to the territorial solid municipal waste management scheme, in Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik generate approximately 230,000 tons of waste annually. In reality, the landfill accepts a significantly larger volume of waste, and under these conditions, ecologist Evgeny Vitishko stated in January.