Kursk has best environment of Russia's most prominent cities

KURSK, Russia, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Kursk ranks at the top of Russia's 70 most prominent cities when it comes to the environment, a study indicates.

The capital Moscow placed second, followed by Kaluga, Saransk and Izhevsk.

Researchers examined each city's air and water quality, recycling, energy efficiency, traffic patterns and overall environmental management to determine which cities were the best from an environmental standpoint, RIA Novosti reported Saturday.

Tomsk in western Siberia was judged the worst of the 70 cities on the list, which are home to 54 percent of Russia's total population.