The Problems of Establishing Signs of the Objective Side of the Offense Under Article 251 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Air Pollution”, due to the Reference of the Criminal Law

The Author sets the task to help the law enforcer understand the complex array of environmental and sanitary legislation and, based on the analysis of regulatory acts, reveal the concepts used in Art. 251 of the ­Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Examining environmental legislation, he gives examples of violations of the rules for the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere, as well as cases representing violations of the rules for the operation of installations, structures and other objects. In particular, such violations are the release of pollutants: from a stationary source that is not included in the state register of objects that have a negative impact on the environment; substances of I or II hazard class by objects registered with the state as category IV objects; from a stationary source without gas-trapping equipment (as well as a source with idle gas-trapping equipment), which should be equipped with such devices; resulting in excess of category I, II and III facilities (for category III only with respect to radioactive and highly toxic substances) of an emission standard or indicators of temporarily permitted emission of pollutants; substances whose degree of danger to human life and health and to the environment has not been established; at facilities of category I–III during unfavorable weather conditions with violation of relevant measures in force during unfavorable weather conditions; which led to violation by legal entities and entrepreneurs of the conditions for quoting emissions in cities, a list of which is given in the Law on emission quotas. He comes to the conclusion that air pollution is qualified if the illegal exceeding of the maximum permissible concentrations is detected in a residential area or recreational area. “Other changes in the natural properties of air” should include noise, vibration, ionizing radiation, temperature and other physical factors that change the physical properties of atmospheric air.

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