The governor of the Primorye region in the Far East has stopped the construction of a coal terminal after local residents voiced concerns about possible damage to the environment.
An international coal terminal was planned to be a part of the Slavyankinsky ship repair facility, but Slavyanka villagers wrote a letter to Governor Vladimir Miklushevsky on Monday, saying the construction would significantly harm the area, which is home to a marine-life sanctuary and the Land of the Leopard national park, created last year.
A senior local politician, Sergei Ovchinnikov, delivered the letter signed by more than 2,000 residents over a period of three days to the governor. The village has a population of 13,000.
Miklushevsky immediately suspended the project.
"I agree with the residents. There is no need to turn this resort into a polluted place," the governor said in a statement.
He said he would ask the local legislature and the Slavyanka village administration to prepare an agreement that would permanently end the construction of the coal terminal.
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