Letter to the EBRD regarding the environmental impacts of the Mittal Steel complex in Temirtau

8 August 2007
Reference number: 092

Alistair Clark
Director, Environment and Sustainability Department
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2JN, United Kingdom

Cc: Elizabeth Smith, Senior Environmental Advisor

Mark King, Head, Environmental Policy and Implementation

Alke Schmidt, Principal Environmental Advisor

Doina Caloianu, Manager of Outreach and NGO Relations

Subject: Mittal Steel Temirtau [MST]; ID: 3324

Dear Mr. Clark,

We bring to your attention information about the state and quality of the environment in the location of the metallurgical complex "Mittal Steel Temirtau", as provided by B.A. Smagulov, Head of the Karaganda Oblast Territorial Environmental Protection Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Environmental Protection (from the attached letter, Ministry of Environmental Protection No. 03-2-1-4/6588, dated 28.06.2007).

We would like to draw attention to the fact that, according to the Ministry, over the last three years the atmospheric pollution index for Temirtau has increased from 7.4 to 8.9 and sulfur dioxide, phenol, ammonia and dust have been registered at quantities exceeding maximum permissible concentrations.  This is directly connected to the industrial activities of the Steel Department of the "Mittal Steel Temirtau," which supplies 95 percent of the city's total emissions. In so doing, the Steel Department's management is not undertaking measures concerning the quantities exceeding maximum permissible concentrations, and information is not being conveyed to the authorized environmental protection bodies.

Best regards,
Svetlana Spatar
Coordinator of work with IFIs

The Ecological Society Green Salvation
050000, Kazakhstan, Almaty, St.Shagabutdinov 58-28
Phone/fax: +7 (327) 253-62-56
grsalmati_AT_mail.ru, www.greensalvation.org

On September 17, 2007 EBRD responded to the above letter. Download the response as pdf here.