The enterprises of the Nikolai Merkushkin family were suspected of polluting the rivers of Mordovia

Violations of environmental legislation have been identified in the activities of two companies affiliated with family members of the former head of Mordovia, Nikolai Merkushkin. We are talking about the Obrochensky meat processing plant and the Romodanovosakhar enterprise.

Natural hearth: the family of the ex-head of Mordovia Nikolai Merkushkin was accused of poisoning rivers

Fish are dying massively in several reservoirs of the region.

The inspection revealed the fact of the discharge of untreated wastewater into filtration fields and into the Insar and Tatar-Velen-Ley rivers (both rivers flow into the Alatyr River). In these rivers, excess of the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants was recorded, the Ministry of Forestry of Mordovia told Izvestia and confirmed by Rosprirodnadzor.

Upon discharge of wastewater onto filtration field maps, an administrative penalty was imposed on the mayasokombinat under Article 8.1 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation on non-compliance with environmental requirements. Now the Ministry of Forestry continues to inspect the enterprise at the request of the prosecutor's office.

The second company, Romodanovosakhar LLC, allegedly discharges untreated wastewater into the Insar River, the Ministry of Forestry of Mordovia noted.

"On May 14, 2025, as part of this inspection, an inspection of the official wastewater discharge site of Romodanovosakhar LLC was carried out. The discharge of presumably untreated wastewater into the Insar River was recorded. The wastewater had a specific pungent odor of sewage, a cloudy color. The lack of necessary cleaning is obvious," it said in response to a request from Izvestia.

At the request of Izvestia, the Rosprirodnadzor for the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Republic of Mordovia reported that, according to the results of field surveys of the Insar and Tatar-Velen-Ley rivers, excess concentrations of harmful substances — iron, manganese, copper, strontium, phosphate ion and others - were recorded at their confluence with the Alatyr River.

The ministry noted that "Romodanovosakhar LLC is the largest enterprise discharging wastewater into the Insar River." The level of damage caused is being determined.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Scum — into society: how the enterprises of the ex-head of Mordovia harm the environment