Russian oil spill disaster

Russian Arctic Oil Disaster - 15th June 2020

Thousands of tonnes of oil have been released into the Arctic Circle in a huge oil spill. Caused by a leaking fuel reservoir at a power plant near the city of Norilsk, it’s the worst spill of its kind in Russia's Arctic.

The oil flowed into the River Ambarnaya and has since been carried over 10 miles from the site of the accident. Emergency workers in waterproof clothing are now trying to contain the spill. Collecting the oil from the surface of the water using booms, they pump it into tanks waiting on the river bank.

Nornickel, the plant’s operator, believes the oil storage tank's supports were weakened by melting permafrost. Permafrost is the term for ground that is frozen year round and most of Siberia, the location of the country's oil fields, is permafrost. However, the region has seen recent spells of uncommonly mild weather, possibly due to global warming. Environmental groups have accused the Russian mining firm of blaming the disaster on climate change. They argue the real culprit is the company's lack of maintenance on their ageing infrastructure.

The investigation into the true cause of the spill is still ongoing and a state of emergency has been ordered in the area by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The tank began to leak on 29th May, pouring over 20,000 tonnes of oil over the surrounding land and polluting the River Ambarnaya. The oil has turned the water crimson and has since reached a freshwater lake, a major source of water in the region.

Thousands of metres of oil-soaked soil have already been removed in the clean-up operation. However, Siberian officials have stated it will be years before the area fully recovers from this catastrophic spill.