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Russia to fine legal entities violating security rules at fuel-and-energy facilities

In particular, the proposed amendments to Administrative Offense Code set a fine for legal entities in the amount of 50,000 ($708) to 100,000 rubles ($1,415) if violations was revealed at a "low hazard" facility

Cleaning up a diesel fuel spill at CHPP-3 combined heat and power plant near Norilsk Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

Cleaning up a diesel fuel spill at CHPP-3 combined heat and power plant near Norilsk

© Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. Russian authorities are going to introduce tougher fines for legal entities violating security rules the facilities of fuel and energy complex. The measures are taken after at a massive fuel spill and a fire took place at the CHPP-3 combined heat and power plant near Norilsk in Russia’s Arctic region.

On Thursday, the State Duma, lower house of parliament, has adopted the draft law imposing administrative fines for violation of requirements to ensure security and anti-terrorist protection at the facilities of fuel-and-energy complex.

In particular, the proposed amendments to Administrative Offense Code set a fine for legal entities in the amount of 50,000 ($708) to 100,000 rubles ($1,415) if violations was revealed at a "low hazard" facility. The current version of the Code does not envisage any fines for violations at this category of facilities.

At the same time the amendments also change ceiling amounts of fines for individuals and officials. For a low hazard category, the fine for citizens will vary from 3,000 ($42) to 4,000 rubles ($56) (now up to 5,000 rubles ($70)). Fines for officials will vary from 30,000 ($424) to 40,000 rubles ($565) (now up to 50,000 rubles ($708). Penalties also envisage disqualification for a period of six months to one year (now it is up to three years).

For violations of security requirements at facilities of a high or medium hazard category, the fine for citizens will be from 4,000 to 5,000 rubles ($56-70), for officials - from 40,000 to 50,000 rubles ($565-708) or disqualification for a period of one year to three years. The fine for legal entities will vary from 200,000 to 300,000 rubles ($2,831-4,246).

The current version of the Administrative Offenses Code does not provide for differentiation of fines depending on the category of the facility.

On May 29, a concrete pad and tank collapse, on the premises of CHPP-3 (owned by the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company, a member of the Norilsk Nickel Group), sending over 21,000 cubic meters of oil products gushing into more than 180,000 square meters of soil and bodies of water.

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