The Unified System for Ecological Monitoring will be created in Russia

The data on ecological monitoring carried out by regions will be integrated into the unified geo-information system. This matter was discussed on May 28th by the Board of Advisers under the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Sergey Donskoy. The Minister Sergey Donskoy acknowledged that the main principle for improvement of the system of ecological monitoring lies in preservation of the monitoring data unity and assurance of its easy accessibility by citizens. According to him, it is necessary to adjust the system for the use of monitoring results to ensure ecological control and apply sanctions with regard to the companies that pollute the environment. Improvement of the surveillance network should be aimed at integration of federal and territorial surveillance data obtained in the framework of production ecological control (local monitoring) with the use of geo-information technologies. Sergey Donskoy acknowledged that high-quality systems for ecological monitoring of air and water facilities operate today in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Kaluga regions, in the Republic of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Sakha (Yakutia), Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar Territories. Regional monitoring data should be integrated into the federal surveillance network and they should be based on unified principles. At present, only 20% of constituent entities of the Russian Federation actively work on development of area-based surveillance systems, while 75% of constituent entities of the Russian Federation carry out surveillance from time to time and have no proper area-based systems.

The Minister ordered the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring to elaborate the “roadmap” for development of the system of ecological monitoring by July 1, 2015 together with the field department of the Ministry. Such work is mainly aimed at assurance of the right of citizens to timely and objective information on the state of the environment and assurance of argumentative base for regulatory authorities.

At present, the federal surveillance network of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring in the field of environment pollution observation ensures surveillance of air pollution in 225 cities and rural settlements of the Russian Federation at 631 stations providing for measurement of concentration of 4 to 38 pollutants. Surveillance over radiation situation is carried out at 1,291 stations using gamma-spectrometric and radiochemical analysis of samples of environmental objects in specialized radiometric laboratories and groups.

Press Service of the Ministry