Serov investigative authorities (operating within the local division of the Russian Federation public prosecution authorities) have recently completed their inquiry into the accident that led to contamination of the River Turya, the spokesperson for the authorities reports.

The authorities carried out a detailed investigation of why the River Turiya, Sverdlovsk Region, had turned red. It was detected that the area around UC RUSAL Bogoslovskiy smelter’s slurry pipeline got contaminated because the pipeline had leaked. So, some of the slurry was washed down into the river with melt-water, coloring it red.

The region’s environmental experts came to the conclusion that the chemical content in the water exceeded all the existing permissible limits. However, no serious damage is believed to have been done to the human health or the environment, nor was there any threat of this.

The investigative authorities thus had no legal grounds to institute a criminal lawsuit, as no charges could be made in accordance with Articles 247 and 250 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code (violation of environmentally hazardous waste treatment and water contamination).

The files related to soil contamination (an offense described in Article 254 (part 1) of the Russian Federation Criminal Code) have been placed with the investigative authorities of Krasnoturinsk, who now have to make checks and take their decision.