Second major oil spill in Russia in a week: this time in Primorye

What happened?

An oil spill occurred in the waters of the port of Nakhodka in the Primorsky Territory.

 The plant management reported that a spill of a substance of unknown origin was discovered on the afternoon of October 21. 

Unmanned aerial vehiclerecorded a spot with an area of ​​34,775 square meters. m. Water samples were taken for analysis. Presumably, the pollution spread from the pier of Transbunker Primorye LLC. The exact source of the leak is being determined.

Press service of Rosprirodnadzor

The pollution of the bay off the coast of Nakhodka is also reported on the city administration website. It says there was an “unknown substance” in the sea. 

The aerial images published on the Nakhodkinsky Port Telegram channel show that the water area near the port is covered with oil streaks. The slick spreads from the Primorsky Shipyard.

Photo from the Nakhodka Port Telegram channel,

Where did it happen?

The spill was discovered in the waters of JSC PortEastern Gate - Primorsky Plant." The management of the enterprise qualified it as a “substance of unknown origin”, but an oil waste collector is working on site. Municipal boiler houses have nothing to do with the emergency, said Deputy Mayor of Nakhodka Anton Shevchenko, “no fuel leaks were detected.” 

Note that the plant owns an industrialan area of ​​64 hectares with port berths on the shores of the Nakhodka Bay. The company builds fishing, merchant ships and tankers, also repairs diesel engines, fuel equipment, water and heat boilers, etc.

What are they doing?

Rosprirodnadzor employees took water samples, the source of the spill is being established. According to the local newspaper vl.ru, local residents reported spills and rainbow spots on the water in the water area back in June.

Rosprirodnadzor took water samples.The source of contamination is being established. The administration of Nakhodka is deciding on the localization of pollution, including the installation of booms. It is planned to involve rescuers. 

Source from the government of Primorsky Krai

The environmental prosecutor's office organized an investigation into the spill. Vera Grinchenko, senior assistant prosecutor for legal support and interaction with the media, spoke about this. 

The area of ​​contamination is reported to be about 35 thousand. sq. m, which is equal to 3.5 hectares. In relation to the area of ​​the entire Bay, Nakhodka is a relatively small territory. Despite this, experts say that negative consequences cannot be avoided.

Marine life under the oil filmfeel unwell. Phytoplankton and zooplankton living in the surface layers of water may die, and photosynthesis is disrupted. If oil pollution spreads into the water column, then shellfish may die at high concentrations, he said.

Vladimir Rakov, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Researcher at the Laboratory of Marine Ecotoxicology, Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The city administration noted that the leakThe substances were discovered on October 21. Specialists promptly went to the site and examined all the nearest municipal boiler houses, but found no fuel leaks from them. 

Specialists installed booms at the site of the oil spill.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources andenvironment of the Primorsky Territory, at the moment, at the site of the alleged spill of oil products, booms are installed to prevent further spread of the source of pollution. Spill area is being specified.

Authorities report

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