‘The towns of Verkhnyaya Salda, Krasnouralsk, Talitsa, Degtyarsk, Verkhnyaya Tura and Ivdel are Sverdlovsk Region’s most troublesome municipalities. Degtyarsk, for one, is experiencing great problems with the boiling equipment, and Verkhnyaya Tura is now in dire need of good heating mains. The local authorities are now considering the idea of switching to coal instead of natural gas as a way out,’ Sverdlovsk Region Minister of Construction and Housing Maintenance and Utilities Alexander Karlov announced at a press conference on September 6, 2007.

‘On the other hand, Krasnoturinsk, Serov, Lesnoy, and Kamensk Uralskiy are doing just fine. Things look relatively stable in Yekaterinburg as well,’ Mr. Karlov added.