TASS, August 12. Volunteers of the Green Arctic international organization collected 26 tonnes of scrap metal near Seyakha village in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the regional government reported.

Earlier, Green Arctic’s Chairman Yevgeny Rozhkovsky told TASS it would be a final expedition. In 2020 and 2021, the volunteers have cleaned the Seyakha tundra from scrap metal, wood, glass, plastics and other waste, which had remained there from the Soviet times. In 2021, during the expedition, they organized eight eco-social master classes for the locals and volunteers.

"Over 14 days, the volunteers have cleaned up six locations of 7.5 hectares from scrap metal and construction waste, which remains there since the late 1990s," the government said. "The volunteers have collected and prepared for further transportation 26 tonnes of metal."

In cooperation with the regional government the volunteers conducted social studies, surveying the locals working in the education sector, school students, the local residents and nomadic families. "The survey results will be used to improve life of the local people," the press service said.

The two-week expedition featured 17 volunteers. It was organized during the Year of Ecology, announced by Governor Dmitry Artyukov.