The Environmental Protection Agency of the Perm Region presented awards to the best participants in the operation "Clean Air" in 2003. According to the competition results first place was occupied by Avtotranskali which received a monetary bonus and a diploma for high indicators in environmental protection activities., Avtotranskali expert Viktor Korchagin was awarded a personal diploma for active participation in the operation "Clean Air."

Winners were determined in several categories. The Uralkali division ranked first among enterprises, motor transport companies and divisions which have more than fifty motor transport units. This category includes the largest motor transport enterprises of the region.

"We are pleased with the successes of the motor transport division of Uralkali," said Anatoly Brazhkin, Head of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency. "A mere few years ago Avtotranskali was among the lagging enterprises of this level. That is why their present indicators were a pleasant surprise for us."

The regional ecologists based their conclusions on such criteria as timely passage of the technical inspection which measures the toxicity of exhaust gases; absence of violations of traffic rules also connected with excessive toxicity; conformity of the enterprise itself with the ecological requirements; level of supervision over compliance with the ecological standards, etc. But the most important fact noted by the ecologists was that all year round the enterprise is systematically working on reducing the toxicity of exhaust gases.

"Uralkali clearly abides by the concept of transferring motor transport to ecologically clean fuels," said Oleg Mikheenko, director of Avtotranskali. "In 2003, we, for the first time, transferred thirty gasoline-powered motor vehicles to gas. Uralkali invested 360 thousand rubles in the re-equipment of the vehicles. Apart from a serious economic effect, such re-equipment, together with a repair-diagnostic work program which is underway in Avtotranskali, contributes to the improvement of the ecological situation."

Apart from the fact that gas is much cheaper than gasoline and Avtotranskali has already reaped considerable economic benefits, re-equipment of motor vehicles had a salutary ecological effect: compared to gasoline or diesel fuel the use of gas produces much smaller carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon discharges and thus reduces environmental pollution.