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Military ecologists remove 2,200 tonnes of scrap metal from an Arctic island

The military ecologists will be working on the Wrangel Island to late September

TASS, July 2. Ecologists of the Eastern Military District over four years have removed from the Wrangel Island more than 2,200 tonnes of scrap metal, Head of the Military District’s press service Colonel Alexander Gordeyev told reporters on Tuesday.

"Over the work in the Arctic zone since 2015, the Eastern Military District’s ecologists have prepared and removed from the Wrangel Island more than 2,200 tonnes of scrap ferrous and non-ferrous metals," he said. "As of today, the Eastern Military District’s ecology unit have collected and prepared for transportation more than 23 tonnes of scrap metal, and they continue collecting and pressing the old barrels there."

In 2019, the military ecologists began working on the island in mid-June. They will work there to late September to collect and press about 150 tonnes of metal barrels, which will be uploaded into 15 20-foot containers. The ecology unit’s 40 military use four special vehicles and more than 10 items of equipment.

There is no permanent population on the Wrangel Island. At times, meteorologists, military or the nature reserve’s staff may be staying there. The Eastern Military District’s ecologists have been working on the Wrangel Island (a part of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve) to remove from there metal barrels, which remain on the island from the times it was home for military facilities, polar stations and bases. In 2018, the military collected on the island and prepared for transportation about 630 tonnes of scrap.