KRASNOYARSK, July 24 - RAPSI. The Krasnoyarsk Territory Commercial Court has postponed until September 24 the property watchdog's lawsuit against local administration to invalidate the lease agreement regarding a land plot intended for a ferroalloy plant.

The ChEK.SU-VK mining and metallurgical company was expected to construct the Yenisei ferroalloy plant near the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. However, the local authorities refused to provide the company with a construction permit on October 11, 2011, arguing that the documents submitted by the company contradict the effective environmental impact regulations.

Krasnoyarsk citizens held several large protest rallies last autumn against the plant's construction. The local population fears the new facility will worsen the environmental conditions in the area. Protesters collected over 150,000 signatures against the construction. The regional authorities finally decided to suspend the project and to hold public consultations in February 2012.

ChEK.SU-VK is based in the Kemerovo region. It explores the Usinskoye manganese field. The field is one of the largest in Russia with proven reserves of 98.5 million metric tones.