The world’s largest nickel manufacturer, Norilsk Nickel, said it was responsible for turning a river in the Siberian town of Norilsk into a lurid shade of red last week.
On Sept. 7, Russia’s environment ministry suggested a pipe leakage from a factory owned by Norilsk Nickel may have resulted in the discoloration of the Daldykan river in the Russian Arctic.
The company initially denied that the pollutants originated from one of its plants.
According to BBC, the company said that a filtration dam was compromised on Sept. 5 after heavy rains caused it to overflow into the river.
Although the company denies any danger to people or wildlife, Greenpeace Russia activist Alexei Kiselyov told Agence France-Presse that it was too early to assess the impact. “You can’t just say that it’s no big deal,” he said.
Kiselyov accused Norilsk Nickel of hindering investigations by controlling access to the affected areas, making it difficult to inspect pollutants originating from their factories.
[BBC]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com