On July 12, 2016, a working group which consisted of representatives of Mykolayiv Regional Council, district and village administrations, relevant state bodies, and public representatives visited “Voznesens’ka” branch in Mykolayiv region. The main purpose of their visit was acquaintance with NIBULON’s dredging operations on the Southern Bug River.
We Carry Out Works without Breaches
“NIBULON’s management addressed us with the request to involve local authorities in the process of giving objective appraisal of dredging operations that are being performed in Voznesensk district, Mykolayiv region. We formed the working group of deputies of different levels, state bodies, and public representatives for realization of this task”, explains the Head of Mykolayiv Regional Council Viktoriya Moskalenko.
“Today the company has presented all necessary documentation and showed that NIBULON has nothing to hide.  We are satisfied with such an open procedure. Everyone should be in line with such a strategy”, the Head of Mykolayiv Regional Council Viktoriya Moskalenko.
“Today the company has presented all necessary documentation and showed that NIBULON has nothing to hide. We are satisfied with such an open procedure. Everyone should be in line with such a strategy. At present we can state that the project is agreed, it is being implemented without any breaches. We requested copies of the documents; they are placed at NIBULON’s public site, by the way. On the basis of these documents we will make an official conclusion that will be announced to the media later”.
Viktoriya Moskalenko also added that we faced the problem when some digital media or social networks’ users informed about breaches without any appropriate arguments and confirmation.
“We saw how the company implements its project, how it relates to the conditions that were at the area. I do not observe any impact on the environment”, acting Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of Mykolayiv Regional State Administration Dmytro Mats.
Dmytro Mats, acting head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of Mykolayiv Regional State Administration, proved the statement of the Head of Mykolayiv Regional Council. He noted that the influence on the environment is permissible, “The main direction of Ukraine is constant development that implies agreement of economical, social, and ecological factors. There is no doubt that the essence of economical component is that any economical activity implies impact on the environment. It is important for us, as for ecologists, to make this impact permissible and without irreversible effect. The negative effect should be compensated. The discussions about amount of compensation will be possible as soon as the facility is finished. We can talk whether there was an irreversible effect or not upon completing the works. We are at the construction site and observe the building process. Therefore, there is a customer’s engineering supervision. We saw how the company implements its project, how it relates to the conditions that were at the area. I do not observe any impact on the environment”.
The Aim Is to Save the Highways
The Head of Mykolayiv Regional Council noted that she had visited NIBULON’s transshipment terminal in Voznesensk district for the first time, “I am very impressed by technologies, arrangement of the territory, and tempo of building process. The high-powered facility was built within three months. At present it serves the agricultural producers of the nearest districts. High yields require extension of infrastructure”. The Head of Regional State Council stressed that construction of this terminal is important both for region and for its citizens. Cargo transportation by water will preserve regional highways that are in need of repair.
Revival of navigation along the Southern Bug River allows transporting up to 1 million tons of grain cargoes annually and removing up to 50 thousand trucks from highways of Mykolayiv region.
According to Alla Izmyestyeva, a head of NIBULON’s environmental protection department, revival of navigation along the Southern Bug River allows transporting up to 1 million tons of grain cargoes annually and removing up to 50 thousand trucks from highways of Mykolayiv region. This will positively influence the environment due to the reduction of fuel combustion product emissions per one ton of grain transported.
134 kilometers of the Southern Bug River, the distance between Mykolayiv and Oleksandrivka village, comprise its navigable area. It is included into navigable inland waterways of Ukraine; therefore, the country must ensure the guaranteed depth of this river. However, the country ignores its duties, while NIBULON plans to revive 102 kilometers of navigable area at its own expense with its own equipment. 
“At present NIBULON implements improvement of navigability of the Southern Bug River. The project implies dredging works of the river to 2,9 m depth from Mykolayiv to Nova Odesa, to 2,65 m depth from Nova Odesa to Voznesensk. Since the country does not take part in realization of this project, despite the fact that maintaining navigable rivers at a proper level is a primary duty of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, NIBULON was obliged to start these operations at its own expense. Thus, our company implements only the first stage of the above mentioned project which implies dredging to 2,4 m depth at the distance between Mykolayiv and Nova Odesa, to 2,3 m depth between Nova Odesa and Voznesensk. We reduced amount of bottom soil from 1,187 million to 180 thousand cubic meters. It is 10 times less. Thus, we reduced the impact on the environment as we reduced the number of disposal tips from 18 to 10. NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard has built vessels and keeps building new ones for operation on the Southern Bug River”, stated Alla Izmyestyeva.
Harmony with Nature
Dredging solves the problem of poaching. The river was blocked by dozen kilometers of nets. There is no sense to net as the company’s vessels tear these nets each time. Of course, the poachers are outraged, but the community is satisfied. They also know about the company’s plans to stock the Southern Bug River with fish.
“Implementation of our project implies compensation”, adds Alla Izmyestyeva. “At present the works are accompanied by environmental monitoring. Then we will have the final word on the level of impact on the environment. As part of compensation process, we will stock the river with fish. So, there will be more fish for ordinary fishers”.
Antonina Galkina, the activist from Mykolayiv who visited the terminal, considers that there is no need in dredging. Within a few decades there were climate change, decrease in amount of water that moves into the downstream of the Southern Bug River. The growth of the level of Oleksandrivske water reservoir leads to reduction of water that gets into the downstream. In her opinion, it is the main reason for shallowing, turning the river into bog and salinification.
However, the specialists do not share her opinion. Theoretically, we would talk about salinification if there were dredging operations to more than 3 m depth. In our case the company only cleans the river to 2,4 m depth with designed depth of 2,9 m. Therefore, the problem of salinification is not valid.
“There is no change for the worse according to 36 factors since the beginning of dredging operations. Everything is done according to the current legislation.  These works will have positive effect because the river is being cleaned”, the Head of the Southern Bug Water Resources Basin Committee Sergiy Pysmennyy.
“The average summer temperature has increased by 5°C since 2007. It led to reduction of water content of the river. The previous year was disastrous for the Southern Bug River. The situation is anomalous, but there are no such phenomena this year. Our laboratory has been monitoring water quality in the Southern Bug River for 30 years. There is no change for the worse according to 36 factors since the beginning of dredging operations. Everything is done according to the current legislation.  These works will have positive effect because the river is being cleaned”, refuted the activist’s statement Sergiy Pysmennyy, the head of the Southern Bug Water Resources Basin Committee.
We have a positive attitude to the work of NIBULON because it creates new workplaces. Nobody took care of the river for 25 years. Last year it was impossible to come close to the river because of stink. It was covered with slime and it was waist-deep. At present it is cleaned. The company promises to organize a recreation zone. The entire Voznesensk district will come here to take a rest soon.
Local people, who have a rest near the river opposite to the terminal, serve as a vivid example of expert’s words. There are two kids with а nice smiling woman in the water. Her name is Lyubov and these are her grandchildren who came from Odesa, “We have a positive attitude to the work of NIBULON because it creates new workplaces. Nobody took care of the river for 25 years. Last year it was impossible to come close to the river because of stink. It was covered with slime and it was waist-deep. At present it is cleaned. The company promises to organize a recreation zone. The entire Voznesensk district will come here to take a rest soon”. 
Old man Leonid herds the flock of sheep at the pasture nearby. He likes the result of dredging works, “The river had not been cleaned in over 30 years. There is a bog up to neck and no fish. Now everything will be better”. 
In fact, according to the Head of Mykolayiv Regional Council Viktoriya Moskalenko, the water-lilies near the river’s bank testify to safety and environmental friendliness of the enterprise. One more case proves ecological safety of the operations. Thus, a pack of wild swans settled near the right bank of the river, directly opposite to the site, at the beginning of the building process. Neither sound of headframe nor clattering of excavator nor dredgers scared them. The main thing is that they found food and managed to overwinter there instead of flying to warm countries. It means that their forage reserve is not disrupted. 
“NIBULON deserves honor and praise because vessels and tugs will operate along the Southern Bug River soon. The river will revive and be stocked with fish”, the Head of Buzke village Oleksandr Kucher.
“I grew up at this river, all my childhood passed here”, told the Head of Buzke village Oleksandr Kucher. “It hurts me to see how the river turns into bog. NIBULON deserves honor and praise because vessels and tugs will operate along the Southern Bug River soon. The river will revive and be stocked with fish. Frankly speaking, it was difficult to imagine the project Oleksiy Vadaturskyy showed me. At present all the obstacles are overcomed and it seems like a fairy tale. Every Saturday we gathered for meetings and observed the branch’s growth. Many people are behind this company. It is the enterprise of national significance that will involve into cooperation the northern part of Mykolayiv region”. 
Unity with Community
NIBULON held meetings in every village council. The company’s representatives took part in a number of meetings and informed the community about plans of project’s implementation, “The community had a lot of proposals that we took into account and will implement. Thus, Prybuzhany village council addressed us with a request to carry out revegetation and to create a recreation area. The other village councils asked us to clean boat berths, boat stations, and to plant disposal tip of pastures”, noted Alla Izmyestyeva.
NIBULON is a socially responsible company. It always helps and cooperates with local communities where its new branches are being built.
According to Oleksandr Kucher, such investor for Buzke village council implies payment of taxes, new workplaces. “The production branch has not yet started working, but we have got half a million for development of infrastructure. We are sure that we can keep our kindergarten, outpatient clinic, public utility, and develop infrastructure together. It is a serious company that makes a profit for its further development and for our community”.
“It is a demonstration of anti-state politics when someone puts obstacles in the way of the company which does the things at its own expense that our government should do. They prevent the company from creation of water-transport route, one of the cheapest routes as we remember from school time”, Voznesensk mayor Vitaliy Lukov.
“Every week the community of our town finds out news from NIBULON’s plans”, stressed Voznesensk mayor Vitaliy Lukov. “As soon as the river becomes navigable, Voznesensk will have a hope for revival of passenger transportation by water to Mykolayiv. It is a brilliant tourist and transport route, great opportunity for local citizens. The company also plans illumination of the waterway, creation of bicycle track, and other social projects that are normal for such a powerful and responsible company. Economy is the basis for any kind of development. We can talk about development of social infrastructure when powerful economic branch operates in region. It is a demonstration of anti-state politics when someone puts obstacles in the way of the company which does the things at its own expense that our government should do. They prevent the company from creation of water-transport route, one of the cheapest routes as we remember from school time. We should struggle with such hostility because the external enemies are less dreadful than inside “well-wishers”.