"Over half a century, there have been over 400 launches over the Altai republic. The Russian government has looked at compensation payments, but they haven't solved the problem of clearing the region of space garbage," the local government's press service said after an environmental commission session.
According to the press service, around a quarter of the Altai republic has been polluted with fallen debris from booster rockets, with more than 30 inhabited areas affected.
The press service said space garbage is one of the most urgent issues for Altai.
On February 7, the Russian government passed a resolution to establish four special economic zones for tourism and recreation. It is planned that one of the tourism and recreation zones will be established in the Altai Republic. The zones are intended to help regional development and attract investment.
