The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case of negligence due to untimely reporting of a diesel spill at a thermal power plant in Norilsk.

As reported on the SK’s website, on June 4, at the request of investigators, Vyacheslav Starostin, the head of the TPP-3 workshop at NTEC JSC, was arrested. He refused to testify. Starostin was arrested until July 31.

“In connection with untimely reporting of an emergency, a criminal case has been initiated under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia (negligence), ”the UK said.

Earlier it became known that the area of ​​pollution after the spill of diesel fuel in Norilsk amounted to 180 thousand square meters, the press service of the prosecutor's office of the Krasnoyarsk Territory said.

“As of June 2, 2020, the area of ​​contamination of oil products from the industrial site to the Ambarnaya River section, where belts of barrier booms (devices made of waterproof material that can control the spread of oil product stains over the surface of a water body) were installed, amounted to 180 thousand square meters. m, ”it was informed.

It is specified that it was succeeded to contain the further distribution of fuel by means of the same barrage booms installed on the rivers.

According to TASS, which the agency received at the emergency response operations headquarters, specialists collected 75 cubic meters of oil products.

“75 cubic meters of oil products have been collected from the Ambarnaya river, almost 50 cubic meters of them were disposed of by burning,” the agency quotes.

The headquarters also noted that experts installed six boom barriers 950 m long. In addition, 157 cubic meters of diesel fuel were pumped out from low-lying areas, and 480 cubic meters of contaminated soil were also removed.

The incident with a fuel spill occurred at TPP-3 of Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company JSC on May 29. The leakage volume exceeded 20 thousand tons. According to preliminary data, the bottom of the tank was damaged due to sagging soil.

  • Emergencies Ministry rescuers sent from Novosibirsk to Norilsk to eliminate the consequences of a fuel spill

Earlier, three criminal cases were initiated on this fact under the articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 254 (“Damage to the land”), 246 (“Violation of the rules of environmental protection during work”) and 250 (“Water pollution”), the investigation is carried out by the Main Investigative Department of the UK Of Russia.

Construction, technical, environmental and a number of other forensic examinations have already been appointed, the results of which will establish, including the amount of damage and the exact causes of the incident. 

On Thursday, Russian Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev and Krasnoyarsk Territory Governor Alexander Uss arrived in Norilsk to hold a workshop on the spill response chaired by the head of the Ministry of Emergencies. The governor plans to visit TPP-3, fly over the territory of the oil spill.

Later that day, Zinichev announced that the Ministry of Emergencies had found a solution to liquidate the emergency. 

“The most important question is how we will eliminate the leak of oil products. I think a solution has been found. And we will fulfill it, ”Zinichev said during a meeting in Norilsk.

Nevertheless, what kind of decision is in question, the minister did not specify.

Rosprirodnadzor in accordance with the instructions of the prosecutor’s office began an unscheduled audit of the Norilsk-Taimyr energy company.

“Based on the results of the instructions given to us, the prosecution authorities appointed an unscheduled audit. According to the results of an unscheduled inspection, an act will be drawn up, the perpetrators will be held liable, damage will be calculated, ”said the head of the department Svetlana Radionova.

In addition, 100 rescuers from the Novosibirsk Region arrived in Norilsk.

Recall, on June 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with the proposal of the head of the Ministry of Emergencies to introduce a federal emergency regime due to a fuel spill.

Then on Wednesday at a meeting with the president, the head of the Ministry of Emergencies, Yevgeny Zinichev, said that information about the emergency came to the department only two days later. In this regard, the president instructed security officials to evaluate the work of local officials.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the decision of Vladimir Putin, said that law enforcement agencies have to establish whether the standards for informing authorities and emergency services have been met.

“The president drew attention to the discrepancy in the data about the moment when the information he received through official departments, first of all, the Ministry of Emergencies, and the leadership of the region, that is, from the governor (Alexander Uss. - RT ), as well as from the company’s management -operator. And drawing attention to the discrepancy in these data, he said at a meeting yesterday that he would give instructions to the relevant authorities so that they could establish the truth, ”Peskov explained to reporters.