Environmentalists appeal to Ukraine's Ministry of Economy over monitoring of dolomite extraction in Zhytomyr region

Environmentalists and the community of Radomyshl district in Zhytomyr region have appealed to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine to monitor the situation with dolomite extraction in the area and to conduct an unscheduled inspection by the State Environmental Inspectorate.

"The reason for widespread public outrage across the entire community of the district was the plans of the company Dolomine, which intends to extract dolomite on land near the Rakovytsia starosta district in Zhytomyr region at a distance of 300 meters from the nearest private residence. These plans could have a significant impact on the environment, infrastructure, and the life of our community," said Natalia Opimakh, a representative of the initiative group of the Radomyshl territorial community, at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine in Kyiv on Tuesday.

According to her, due to the resumption of quarry development, which had been suspended in the 1960s, water pumping has begun, leading to a drop in water levels in wells, while some areas are on the contrary being flooded, harming local flora and fauna.

A subsoil use license No. 5210 was issued to Dolomine LLC on November 1, 2010, for the development of 50.7 hectares of the Nehrebivske deposit in Zhytomyr region. In September 2025, the Ministry of Economy approved the environmental impact assessment report subject to the fulfillment of 149 environmental conditions. However, the company began operations without carrying out the required measures, said Petro Testov, head of the expert department of the NGO Ukrainian Law Enforcement Group.

"For example, such conditions included conducting hydrological studies, ongoing monitoring of the quality of water discharged into the river, installation of noise barriers, dust suppression, and surveys to identify rare species. However, the company chose to ignore these conditions and began its activities immediately, without approving any documents or carrying out these measures," the expert explained.

In addition, the area where dolomite extraction is taking place has environmental protection value, Testov said.

According to Anhelina Klymchuk, attorney and partner at Legal Advisers law firm, the situation around the deposit has revealed a number of problems in the execution of control and supervisory functions by state authorities. In particular, it was discovered that some authorities lacked information about the quarry as a water body.

"We see not only the existence of problems in this situation, but, first and foremost, the absence of mechanisms to respond to them. For example, the State Environmental Inspectorate tells us that it can act only after conducting an inspection, but an inspection cannot be carried out due to the moratorium in place during martial law. We are already living in the fifth year of full-scale invasion, and it is necessary to restore effective mechanisms for inspecting fairly large extraction businesses that may pose environmental risks," Klymchuk said.

Environmentalists and the community are calling on the Ministry of Economy to ensure compliance with the law "On Environmental Impact Assessment" and transparent monitoring of the situation in order to preserve the region's biodiversity and ensure the safety of its residents.

"For six months now, there has been illegal seizure and destruction of community land, as the company has nevertheless begun operations. Forests have been cut down without documentation, and millions of tons of high-quality water have been discharged. This has been recorded by the police, active members of the public, and a parliamentary working group established within the Radomyshl City Council. But neither Dolomine nor the state, represented by profile ministries, are taking the population's opinion into account at all," Opimakh said.

As reported, by Order No. 4727 dated April 4, 2026, the Ministry of Economy instructed the State Environmental Inspectorate to inspect the activities of Dolomine LLC in the field of environmental protection, as well as the rational use and protection of natural resources.

According to the Nadra.info portal, in December 2024 the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the easement for Dolomine LLC and dismissed the cassation appeal of the Radomyshl City Council.

According to information on the company's website, Dolomine LLC is engaged in the extraction of dolomites, serpentinized dolomites, and calcifers for various sectors of Ukraine's economy, and develops the Nehrebivske dolomite deposit in Zhytomyr district, Zhytomyr region.

According to the YouControl analytical system, the owners of Dolomine LLC are Ihor Yarovy and Olena Snezhko (50% each).