MOSCOW, June 6 - RAPSI, Sergei Feklyunin. On Wednesday, the Krasnoyarsk Territory Commercial Court ceased the environmental watchdog's legal proceedings against Norilsk Nickel which sought to recover $29.09 million for damage caused to the environment, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

On May 31 the Federal Service for the Supervision of Natural Resources submitted to the court a statement on the withdrawal of its lawsuit and the production with which it was concerned had been stopped.

The lawsuit was submitted to the court on April 19. The service reported that the lawsuit concerned liabilities for 2011.

Norilsk Nickel said claim was submitted because Rosprirodnadzor had not taken into account the expenses the company incurred in 2011 with regard to its environmental protection efforts.

Norilsk Nickel reported that it carries out large-scale complex environmental protection programmes and its expenses in this regard have been in line with federal and regional legislation since 2004.

Norilsk Nickel is the world's largest nickel producer (18 percent of global output) and palladium producer (close to 50 percent of global output).

The company is also a leading producer of platinum (circa 13 percent of global output) and of copper (around 2.5 percent of global output). In addition, the company also produces cobalt, chrome, rhodium, silver, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium and sulfur.