Arctic Yearbook 2014 | Page 534

534 Arctic Yearbook 2014 of wages, weak concern for the creation of favorable working environments and the absence of adequate compensations for unhealthy job conditions. Such irresponsible behavior was largely explained by the extremely weak attachment of the new company’s leadership to the community since the company’s decision-making is taking place outside the territory where the company operates (from the head-quarters of its ultimate parent – JSC “Acrone”) and the top level managers are almost entirely from outside the municipality. A reason for the negative attitudes was also the company’s conflict with environmental NGOs on the “Khibiny” National Park. The conflict reached its peak in 2012 due to the intention of the new company to build the technological road for ore transportation from the “Partamchorr” mine to the processing plant near the “Oleniy ruchei” mine. The road (about 30 km long) had to cross the area of the planned National Park. Local ecological NGOs were strongly against the road construction. To resolve the conflict the regional government initiated the creation of a commission with participation from various interested parties, including representatives of NWPC, ecological NGOs and research organizations. The conflict was actively discussed in the local media and among the members of internet communities, but public hearings, which were conducted at the planning stages of the new project