In Russia, a floating dam has been put in place to contain massive oil pollution. And it is a success, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which indicates that the progression of this pollutant has been "stopped".
“The progression of hydrocarbons has been stopped. They are going nowhere ”thanks to the deployment of a floating containment dam, confirmed to AFP a representative of the ministry, adding that the pumping of fuel had started. "Efforts are being made to eliminate pollution," said the source. He was not able to say whether the progression of fuel was stopped on the Ambarnaïa river or on Lake Piassino, which would be much more serious because its waters flow in the river of the same name, very important for the region.
A state of emergency has been declared after some 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil leaked into a river within the #ArcticCircle. The @CopernicusEU # Sentinel2 mission shows the extent of the spill, reported to have leaked to 12 km from the accident site. https://t.co/uUOsYPiVfr pic.twitter.com/BqWiSQwcRN
- ESA EarthObservation (@ESA_EO) June 5, 2020Rescue operations still in progress
One of the diesel tanks of a thermal power plant belonging to a subsidiary of the mining giant Norilsk Nickel collapsed last week, causing a leak of 20,000 tonnes of oil. This pollution is considered by ecological organizations to be the worst ecological accident due to hydrocarbons in the region and help is on the job to try to limit the damage, in a context made complicated by the difficulties of access to the site and the Shallow depth of the river, which prevents boat operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also stepped up to the plate on Wednesday, declaring a state of emergency and publicly beating local officials, including the president of the Norilsk Nickel subsidiary, who has been slow to react. The company denied any failure.
Its pillars rested on the permafrost
Friday, the Minister of Emergency Situations went to the site to monitor the progress of relief operations. In a statement, the ministry said "200 tonnes of fuel and lubricants have been collected" so far.
According to Norilsk Nickel, the tank was damaged when the pillars embedded in the permafrost that had been supporting it "for 30 years" began to collapse, an accident that could be attributed to the melting of the permafrost due to climate change.
Norilsk Nickel, one of the world's leading producers of nickel and palladium, is not in its first ecological accident: in 2016, one of its factories accidentally spilled chemicals in a river in the far North, already tinging it with red.
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