The development of parts of the Arctic north of Russia has left its environment at risk from scrap materials and oil residue, a regional leader said. Sakhamin Afanasyev, the minister of ecology for the Sakha republic, the largest in Russia, said companies working in the extreme climate have spent about $138 million this year on protecting the environment. Most of that was spent on treatment, waste management and emission abatement strategies. “Over the time of the north’s development, the environmental damage has been significant,” the minister was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying. “The biggest damage comes from scrap metal and from oil residues.” Some of Russia’s largest oil and gas projects are located in […]