Protesters outside Moscow take a hated local landfill to civil court

The Volokolamsk City Court has registered several civil lawsuits against the owners of the over-capacity “Yadrovo” landfill, which has sparked local protests for the past several months. The court will hear three lawsuits on May 7, and another two hearings are scheduled for early June.

The total damage claimed in the lawsuits is roughly 5.5 million rubles ($86,225). Volokolamsk residents have filed a separate lawsuit, as well, demanding the immediate closure of the garbage dump. Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov, meanwhile, has already promised to shut down the facility by June 15.

Since the beginning of the year, Volokolamsk locals have staged protests against the Yadrovo landfill. City officials have declared a state of emergency because of hydrogen sulfide leaking into the air, and several dozen schoolchildren have sought medical attention due to the effects of air pollution.