YAKUTSK, September 20. /TASS/. Local residents and volunteers collected in Yakutia under the Clean Arctic federal project about 700 tons of scrap metal over the current year missions, Yakutia's First Deputy Minister for Development of the Arctic and the Affairs of the Peoples of the North Sergey Neustroev told TASS.

"Under the Clean Arctic federal project, about 700 tons of scrap metal and other waste have been collected in 2024," he said. "We have cleaned the area of 9 hectares. More than 140 people have participated in the cleanup."

The Clean Arctic project opened the fourth season on August 27 in Tiksi, he continued. "More than 550 tons of scrap metal have been collected in Tiksi, the Bulunsky District, 3 hectares have been cleaned. In the mission have participated 12 volunteers from Russia's different regions, and 20 locals," he added. The project worked also in settlements of Batagai, Deputatsky, Saskylakh and Ese-Haya.

"In April, the Yanolovo Company along winter roads delivered 80 tons of scrap metal to Yakutsk from the settlements of Sayylyk and Chokurdakh, and in September, the Arktikvtormet Company loaded 2,285 tons of scrap metal onto the Petrotrans-5901 vessel in Tiksi. Further on, that loaded scrap metal will be shipped via Arkhangelsk for further processing and melting," the official said.

The Clean Arctic federal project began working in Yakutia in August, 2021, in Tiksi, and later on it spread to the region's other Arctic districts.