Siberian Black Skies Have Russia’s Dirtiest City Begging for Gas

Siberian Black Skies Have Russia’s Dirtiest City Begging for Gas

A Russian city nestled in a vast forest known as the planet's lungs has air so bad that the authorities regularly warn people to stay inside.. The national weather service says Krasnoyarsk had the dirtiest air of any Russian city in 2018, the latest data available.. "Our air is ranked the worst in the world so often that we don't even pay attention to the global Air Quality Index any more," Shpeht said.. Although Russia is the world's biggest natural gas exporter, much of Siberia isn't connected to the national pipeline network for the cleaner-burning fuel.. The plan calls for a 570-kilometer gas pipeline from the Kemerovo region that regional governor Alexander Uss estimates will cost 120 billion rubles ($1.7 billion).. The Energy Ministry declined to comment on the gas pipeline to Krasnoyarsk, but said there is a plan approved by the government to improve the air in Krasnoyarsk by 2024 that includes modernizing the city's heating systems and shutting down old boilers..