Footage coming out of a coalmining region in Siberia appears almost 'post-apocalyptic' with uploaded photos and video showing streets and cars covered by a thick layer of black snow. The inky precipitation is believed to have been caused by toxic coal dust from nearby mines, which critics blast as an ecological catastrophe. "It's harder to find white snow than black snow during the winter," said environmentalist Vladimir Slivyak. "There is a lot of coal dust in the air all the time." According to activists, the dust contains hazardous heavy metals arsenic and mercury, and has lowered life expectancy in the region by three to four years.