According to Igor Chestin, leader of WWF Russia, a compromise has been reached with the North-Western Phosphorous Company, a subsidiary of Acron, over the controversial infrastructure plans in the Khibiny area. The company will not build a road through the mountain massive, but instead ship out its ore by railway. A new railway station will be built by the nearby Imandra Lake, from where the ore will be transported, RIA Novosti reports.
As previously reported by BarentsObserver, the mining company intended to construct a road between two major apatite fields in the area, the Oleniy Ruchey and the Partomchorr
The controversial question has been how to connect the two mining areas. Environmentalists have long strongly opposed the projected new road, arguing that it will destroy the mountains. The Khibiny mountains will get status as national park by year 2015.
According to the environmentalists, the North-Western Phosphorous Company has also agreed to build its new industrial facility in the area with underground mining instead of as an open pit.
