Land conservation rests on the norms of the environmental protection law: soil quality is measured by qualitative norms, the use of chemical agents is regulated by separate rules, and the use of land is bounded by load norms and quotas. On this page you will find a complete description of these three instruments together with the general framework of ecosystem protection.
Qualitative Norms of the State of the Environment
The qualitative norms of the state of the environment cover the limit-permissible norms of the concentrations of substances harmful to human health and the natural environment in atmospheric air, water, and soil, and of the quantities of microorganisms, as well as the norms of noise, vibration, electromagnetic fields, other physical impacts, and radiation. For soil conservation the norms of the concentration of harmful substances in soil are decisive.
These norms are determined once every 5 years by the relevant regulation, developed and approved — in agreement with the Ministry — by the ministry responsible for health and social protection. The five-year renewal cycle means that the assessment of the state of land must always rest on the current norms.
Norms for the Use of Chemical Agents
The norms for the use in the environment of mineral fertilizers, plant protection agents, growth stimulators, and other chemical agents are established in such a way that no threat is created to human health, the world of plants and animals, or the soil. For agriculture this is the central rule: the use of agrochemicals in a manner damaging the soil is impermissible.
The norms for the use of chemical agents in the environment and the rules for their transport, storage, and use are developed once every 5 years and approved by regulation of the Ministry in agreement with the health ministry. In addition, a unified state registry of chemical substances is established for accounting and control, whose compilation procedure is determined by legislation — the owner and user of land works in coordination with this system.
Norms of Load on the Environment
In the use and development of natural ecosystems, landscapes, and other territories, limit-permissible norms of their load are established — the norms of load on the environment. This is the third instrument of land conservation: land must be used in such a way that its load does not exceed the established limit.
The load norms include quotas for the use of natural resources, which are established at the state level taking into account the principles of sustainable development; the quotas for the use of individual species of natural resources are established at regional and local levels. The norms are developed and approved by the Ministry once every 5 years by regulation.