November 19,2012

It’s been a year after the Resolution was made by the RF Government on 26.12.2011 registered under № 2360-r on the competition for the mineral rights at Elkinsky and Elansky copper and nickel deposits, and the protests of Voronezh and surrounding areas residents against the exploration and development of these fields referred to the subsoil areas of federal significance, have not been dying out. Social movements have been formed – such as "In Defense of Khoper" and "Green Ribbon" – including the unnamed action groups collecting signatures against the "nickel" project. The population is seriously concerned with its own health and safety of the recreational resources, unique Voronezh black soils, the purity of surface and ground waters, of the river Khoper, recognized by UNESCO as the cleanest river in Europe, Khoper Reserve with plants and animals listed in the Red Book, including the state of nature as a public domain.

However, public administration bodies in the sphere of subsoil resources believe that the possibility of profitable nickel mining in northern Russia, in Norilsk mining district is almost exhausted, and the inferred reserves of the Voronezh region in the event of positive results after exploration activities can be implemented in reserves of nickel, copper and cobalt, the largest in Europe, and the future mine will provide jobs and the social sphere development.

In accordance with the contest results dated May 22, 2012 the winner was Mednogorsk copper and sulfur plant - a subsidiary of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company. On July 26, 2012 the winner was issued the licenses for subsoil use.

Geologically, the license areas are located in the Elansky and Uvarovsly mining district of Kalach-Ertilskaya zone of Voronezh crystalline core-area. Inferred resources of categories P2 + P3 of Elkinsky license area amount to 993.8 thousand tons of nickel, 33.9 thousand tons of cobalt, 129.6 thousand tons of copper, Elansky - 54.1 thousand tons of nickel, 5.6 tons of copper , 1.7 tons of cobalt P1 and 1753.5 thousand tons of nickel, 209.3 thousand tons of copper, 53.3 thousand tons of cobalt by category P2 + P3.

In accordance with the terms of subsoil use exploration of these areas should be completed in May of 2020, in May of 2021 ​​a technical development project should be drawn, in 2022 - the construction of infrastructure facilities of the mining enterprise, in 2027 the mining enterprise should be put into service and in 2028 it should reach the design capacity.

In June 2012, in an attempt to solve the ethical dilemma with the legal instruments, the social organizations appealed to the regional court to obtain the right for the referendum on the development of copper and nickel deposits of the Voronezh Region. But the court denied the claims, explaining that these areas belong to the subsoil plots of federal importance, and the right to dispose of them belongs to the federal authorities, but not under the joint competence. Considering that such a decision of the regional court does not take into account the other provisions of the Russian Federation Constitution, the social activists appealed to the RF Supreme Court.

On September 14, 2012 the RF Supreme Court refused to hold a referendum on the issue of the nickel deposits development in the Voronezh Region. The Court agreed with the decision of the Voronezh Regional Court and noted that the Russian Federation has the exclusive right to use these deposits.

The confrontation of population and governmental authorities continues.