During Soviet times, the city of Kalush in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast was a center of chemical production. Now, decades after negligent waste management, Kalush is believed to be among the most polluted cities in Europe. The chemicals, a byproduct of the oblast’s potash industry, continue to pose a grave threat to Kalush’s nearly 70,000 inhabitants. And experts worry what Kalush’s ecological disasters could ean for the rest of Ukraine, including potentially contaminating the Dniester, one of Ukraine’s most vital waterways.
Other episodes of the Ukraine on the Brink series:
Ukraine on the Brink: Transforming Ukraine’s nuclear cities
Ukraine on the Brink: Deforestation threatens fragile ecosystems
Ukraine on the Brink: Kyiv’s Radikal Threat
