Massive Black Sea Oil Spill: Russia Asks for $1 Billion Compensation
Introduction
A massive oil spill occurred in the Black Sea in December, resulting from a storm hitting two tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, carrying around 9,000 tonnes of mazut, a type of heavy fuel oil. The incident has caused significant environmental damage, and Russia has put the cost of the clean-up at almost $1 billion, which it is attempting to claim back from the ships’ owners.
The Incident
The two ageing ships were hit by a storm on December 15 in the Kerch Strait between Moscow-annexed Crimea and the southern Russian Krasnodar region. One of the tankers broke up and partially sank, with one sailor drowning, while the other ran aground. The spill amounted to over 2,000 tonnes of oil products. One of the tankers then spilled out more fuel in January, but the ships are no longer leaking, according to the emergencies ministry.
Investigation and Findings
An investigation by Russia’s transport watchdog concluded that the main reason for the spill was that the vessels were not certified to sail in this area of sea at that time of year. Additionally, they did not have the required numbers of qualified navigators on board, the transport ministry said in a statement. The owners of the tankers face criminal charges for safety violations.
Environmental Impact
Oil from the spill is still emerging in an area of beach resorts. Mazut sinks to the bottom of the sea instead of floating on top, making it hard to clean up. The incident has caused significant environmental damage, and Russia is working to clean up the spill and mitigate its effects on the local ecosystem.
Compensation
The head of Russia’s environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, Svetlana Radionova, told a government meeting on the clean-up that the "total sum presented to the polluting companies is 84.9 billion rubles ($998 million)". The ships’ owners have a month to pay up voluntarily or face court action, she said, according to a statement released by the government.
Conclusion
The massive Black Sea oil spill is a significant environmental disaster that has caused significant damage to the local ecosystem. Russia is working to clean up the spill and mitigate its effects, and is also seeking compensation from the ships’ owners. The incident highlights the importance of ensuring that ships are properly certified and staffed to operate safely in certain areas, and that measures are taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
FAQs
- What was the cause of the oil spill?
The main reason for the spill was that the vessels were not certified to sail in this area of sea at that time of year, and they did not have the required numbers of qualified navigators on board. - How much oil was spilled?
Over 2,000 tonnes of oil products were spilled in the incident. - What is the estimated cost of the clean-up?
The estimated cost of the clean-up is almost $1 billion. - Who is responsible for the spill?
The owners of the tankers are responsible for the spill and face criminal charges for safety violations. - What is being done to clean up the spill?
Russia is working to clean up the spill and mitigate its effects on the local ecosystem.