Interfax: Sochi air becomes twice as clean – Kozak

SOCHI. Jan 10 (Interfax) – According to the information of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, the environmental situation has improved in Sochi amid the preparations for the Olympics.

“Air and water in Sochi have become cleaner today than they were in December 2007,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told reporters in Sochi on Friday.

The data is stipulated in the report of the natural resources ministry on results of monitoring the state of the environment in Sochi, the deputy prime minister said.

“Air has become twice as clean. As of December 2007, when no construction took place, suspended matter was 1.2 of the limit of the standards permitted, now it is 0.6 of the limit of the standards permitted,” Kozak said.

“This is a very good result of the work to modernize the transport infrastructure and on holding environmental measures,” the deputy prime minister said.

“I am absolutely certain that the provision works will be completed now, the task of the final cleaning of street is set currently and air will become even cleaner,” Kozak said.

“This is the main environmental achievement in settlements – to preserve clean air in the living environment,” the deputy prime minister said.