Gypsum production in residential areas: Russian and Finnish experience

For several years now, the gypsum quarry near the village of Gomzovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region has been a stumbling block between the village's population, local authorities and a foreign concern. In 2006, the news of the start of construction of a gypsum plant and the development of a quarry caused a wave of indignation among local residents. Many collective appeals were submitted to the governor, the Public Chamber, the Prime Minister and the Presidential Administration, and mass protest rallies were organized.

Now that the construction of the plant has come to an end and the start of production is scheduled for July 2013, the Gomzovskoye field has once again become a topic of conversation. It is worth noting that for the time being, the Gomzovsky plant will operate on imported raw materials from Ufa and Samara, as the start of quarry development has been postponed. The main complaint of the outraged population, as before — is the harm of gypsum dust to the ecology of the region and people's health.

The correspondent of the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets went to Finland, where the country's largest gypsum production (also based on imported raw materials) is adjacent to the village, to study the best practices, find out who is right and how justified the fears of the population of the Russian village are.

In the small Finnish district of Kirkkonummi (half an hour's drive from Helsinki), where the plant is located, the journalist was greeted by picturesque northern nature, forests and bays with scattered small settlements.

At the end of World War II, a Soviet military base was located on the territory of Kirkkonummi, which at that time belonged to the USSR. There were artillery points on the hills from which Helsinki was attacked, and Soviet submarines were stationed in the bays. This page of the past left behind several bunkers, which today have become a place of excursions.

Kirkkonummi has many indoor and outdoor museums. In the neighborhood of the gypsum production there is an ancient burial site protected by the state. On the other side of the gypsum factory is a protected area where flying squirrels, a strictly protected endangered species, live.

All these attractions attract tourists from all over the world. Golf and yachting enthusiasts come here in summer, and ski enthusiasts come here in winter. Here you can go fishing, pick berries and mushrooms, explore Bronze Age stone burial mounds, or simply enjoy the idyllic countryside.

The gypsum production facility in question was opened in Kirkkonummi in 1972, and since then it has produced the entire line of gypsum products and some unique developments — for example, a moisture-resistant material based on gypsum and glass. Two-thirds of the products go to the Finnish domestic market, while the rest is exported. The length of the plant's conveyor is the same as at Nizhny Novgorod — 450 m.

It is believed that Finnish industrialists pay much more attention to compliance with safety requirements than other Europeans. The plant has a number of strict rules and restrictions, and all personnel actions are strictly regulated.

The director of the Finnish plant, Peter Ozimek, who had experience working in Russia, answered the main question of the MK correspondent: "Complaints were received from residents of the nearest village. But their goal was not to identify violations, but to get something from the plant. It seems to me that in Gomzovo they are simply afraid of something new – this is a psychological factor. Or in Russia, few people know that gypsum is an environmentally friendly material, it does not cause harm to health. The gypsum stone that will be used in Gomzovo is large, and there is very little dust from it."

Gypsum raw materials in Kirkkonummi are delivered from Spain by sea, from the port to the factory — a kilometer, and on the side of the road connecting them, you can notice spots of gypsum dust. There are no special requirements for the transportation of gypsum in Finland, one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world. Peter Ozimek, saying that in Europe gypsum dust does not frighten anyone, pointed out a huge wasteland cleared of forest near this road, where a residential microdistrict will be built. The raw material warehouse on the production site is a huge pile of gypsum, which also does not bother anyone.

The chief architect of the district, who was also visited by the journalist, explained that in Finland there are no obstacles to placing production near residential areas, and gypsum or coal dust should simply settle on the production site. According to the architect, according to the development plan of the district, the production will be surrounded by cottages.

Summing up his trip, the journalist recalls that when asked about possible reasons for the fear of gypsum production in the Nizhny Novgorod outback, Finnish officials shrugged their shoulders: "I'm sorry, but we've never encountered this..."