Oil spill from a power plant in Russia compelled President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of emergency. The incident comes at a time when the entire world is fighting Coronavirus while also attempting to cut environmental hazards.
Crux of the Matter
Leakage 20,000 tonnes of diesel leaked into the Ambarnaya river near Norilsk city of Russia which flows into the Arctic Ocean. The leakage occurred in the power plant of Norilsk Nickel, which is the world’s largest producer of nickel and platinum. By expert analysis, it is the 2nd biggest oil leak in Russian history.
President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency on Thursday in Russia after a massive oil spill in the Arctic Circle. https://t.co/Ep796ngLHb pic.twitter.com/xhuNNcuLzD — CNBC (@CNBC) June 5, 2020
How Did It Leak? The power plant was based on the top of permafrost, which is ground in a frozen state for more than 2 years. The permafrost weakened due to climate change and made the foundation unstable. On 29 May, pillars of the fuel tank in the powerplant collapsed which spilled the diesel in the river. Experts have predicted the duration of the clean-up process to be 5-10 years. The reason for such elongation is the shallowness of the river as well as the amount of diesel leaked. Impact As the oil drifted 7.5 miles, President Putin declared an emergency as the oil would contaminate groundwater used for human consumption. A major portion of the river has turned crimson red by the mixture of diesel and water.
#Norilsk, northern #Russia: the site of copper & nickel #mining & #environment|al degradation pic.twitter.com/2s6kRXPsql — Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) September 7, 2016
A major threat is posed to the wildlife species in the Arctic region, which is considered a vital belt in the ecosystem. The Arctic region hosts several endangered species like the Arctic fox, polar bears, Beluga whales, etc. Experts have predicted a severe loss for aquatic life as the diesel would create respiratory problems in aquatic life.
Recent Spills In Russia And Arctic
1994: Oil pipeline rupture in Pechora river
2007: Oil leak from ship crash by storms in Kerch strait
2014: Oil pipeline leak in the Black sea
2016: Daldykan river spill by Norilsk Nickel
2020: Ambarnaya river spill by Norilsk Nickel
Curiopedia
Lakeview Gusher Number One was an eruption of hydrocarbons from a pressurized oil well in California, in 1910. It created the largest accidental oil spill in history, lasting 18 months and releasing 9 million barrels of crude oil. It was one of the largest oil reserves in the United States.
The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners is a membership association for owners of independent tankers throughout the world. It has observed that “accidental oil spills this decade have been at record low levels—one-third of the previous decade and one-tenth of the 1970s—at a time when oil transported has more than doubled since the mid 1980s.
The Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE was a challenge award offered by the X PRIZE Foundation for efficient capturing of crude oil from ocean water. Inspired by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, the award was announced on July 29, 2010, and the official one-year competition began on August 1, 2010. The first two teams were awarded $1 million and $300,000 respectively.
Curated Coverage
The New York Times – Russia Declares Emergency After Arctic Oil Spill
The Guardian – Where the river runs red: can Norilsk, Russia’s most polluted city, come clean?
Times Now – World Environment Day: Russia’s oil spills a huge risk to aquatic and human life
BBC – Arctic Circle oil spill prompts Putin to declare state of emergency
Reuters – Oil spills into Black Sea near Russian port after pipeline leak
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