REMEDIATING LEGACY POLLUTION IN THE ARCTIC:  ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGERIAL APPROACHES

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Evgeniya G. Rutenko1, Andrey N. Nagibin2, 3

1Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, St Petersburg, Russia

2Clean Arctic, Moscow, Russia

3Green Patrol, Moscow, Russia

1evgewe@mail.ru, ORCID 0000-0001-5973-5122

2anagibin@inbox.ru, ORCID 0009-0002-3209-8244

Abstract. Decades of intensive exploitation of the Russian Arctic’s exceptional economic potential, coupled with limited consideration of the environmental impacts of industrial activity, have led to the accumulation of significant legacy pollution across the region. In view of the Arctic’s strategic importance to the national economy, there is an urgent need to enhance organizational and management frameworks for assessing and remediating legacy environmental sites, while accounting for the distinctive environmental, geographic, and socio-economic characteristics of the macroregion. The relevance of this study stems from these challenges. The study’s purpose is to analyze the problems and prospects associated with organizing remediation efforts in the Arctic and to examine the application of innovative technological solutions for addressing legacy pollution at Cape Chelyuskin. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization of the environmental and socio-economic impacts generated by legacy environmental sites in the Arctic, as well as in the identification of gaps in the existing system of public administration responsible for their remediation. The findings substantiate the need for greater coordination among government authorities and civil society organizations in implementing environmental initiatives in the region. The paper analyzes the experience of an autonomous non-profit organization dedicated to environmental improvement and the development of the Clean Arctic volunteer movement in organizing an expedition to remediate the territory of Cape Chelyuskin affected by past economic activities. The tested technological solutions may serve as a basis for developing practical recommendations for organizing waste collection and removal in remote and hard-to-access areas. These recommendations can inform relevant ministries in refining the regulatory framework and elaborating strategic planning documents aimed at eliminating legacy pollution in the Arctic. Future research should focus on assessing the socio-economic effects of remediation projects implemented in Arctic regions.

Keywords: Arctic, legacy pollution, socio-economic impacts, environmental policy, environmental remediation

For citation: Rutenko E. G., Nagibin A. N. Remediating legacy pollution in the Arctic: Organizational and managerial approaches. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2026, no. 1, pp. 168-181. doi:10.37614/2220-802X.1.2026.91.012.

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