Ida-Virumaa ash hills will change their appearance more green

Eesti Päevaleht

Closure of ash hills in Kohtla-Järve and Kiviõli will cost about 400 mln kroons

Upon several years of preparation, works of conservation of huge semi-coke hills being a symbol of local oil shale industry and Ida-Virumaa are at last starting this spring. We have to deal with the biggest and the most expensive environmental project which has taken place yet. It will cost over 370 mln kroons to modify ash hills overlooking Kohtla-Järve and Kiviõli environment friendly.

Lion`s chare of this amount of money coming at 100 % from Europe, i. e. 323 mln kroons, will cover the conservation of the semi-coke storage area in Kohtla-Järve. To adjust this appr. 100 ha wide storage area in accordance with environmental requirements, the following will be done: basins of fuusses (sludge from oil production process) will be closed, steep slopes of semi-coke hills will be transformed more sloping, and the hills will be covered with a water-resistant protecting layer which will be planted with trees.

Considering public interest, a part of already planted ash hills will be conserved as they look now.