The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for the violation of environmental protection laws over the dumping of wastewater from the Talnakh Concentrator Plant into the river Krasnoyarsk Krai river in Norilsk, Meduza writes.

Untreated sewage from the plant was allegedly discharged into the Tomulakh River between June 2017 and July 2019.

The investigation targets unnamed employees of Norilsk Nickel and of Mekhanobr Engineering.

According to the investigation, the wastewater discharge resulted in more than 154 million rubles ($2.2 million) in damage to the surrounding environment.