RUSSIA - AUTHORITIES ACCUSED OF BUNGLING OIL CLEAN UP OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA'S ARCTIC REGION.

Record ID: 344804

  • Title: RUSSIA - AUTHORITIES ACCUSED OF BUNGLING OIL CLEAN UP OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA'S ARCTIC REGION.
  • Date: 1st November 1994
  • Summary: USINSK, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 1, 1994) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV VIEWS ALONG USINSK-KHORYAGA ROAD 0.08 2. HAS,SV PALNIK-SHUR STREAM 0.11 3. SLV/ZOOM OUT/LV/ VARIOUS OF HORSMAN INSPECTING POLLUTED STREAM, HALF-FROZEN OIL (4 SHOTS) 0.25 4. SLV HORSMAN TESTING WATER IN STREAM 0.32 5. SV/GV PIT, VARIOUS OF ONE KILOMETRE FROM STREAM, WHERE POLLUTED EARTH AND WATER FROM STREAM IS BEING DUMPED (6 SHOTS) 1.02 6. MCU HORSMAN SAYING THAT DUMPING WHAT THEY TAKE FROM THE STREAM INTO THIS PIT MAKES THE WHOLE CLEAN-UP POINTLESS (ENGLISH) 1.19 7. GV/SLV OILBURNING ON RIVER/WORKERS CLEANING UP POLLUTED WATER (6 SHOTS) 1.48 9. MCU HORSMAN SAYING THAT WITH WHAT HE HAS SEEN TODAY IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A DISASTER ON A HUGE SCALE(ENGLISH) 2.01 10. LV/SV GAS FLARE (3 SHOTS) 2.20 11. SV PLANE TAXIES ON TARMAC 2.24 12. SV GOVERNOR OF ALASKA, WALTER HICKEL AND TEAM OF EXPERTS STEP OUT OF PLANE AT AIRPORT / GREETED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) 2.32 12. MCU HICKEL TALKS ABOUT OIL SPILL AND WHAT HIS TEAM INTENDS DOING (ENGLISH) 2.52 13. SV/LV HICKEL AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS WALK ACROSS TARMAC (2 SHOTS) 2.59 TRANSCRIPT OF SEQUENCE 12: HICKNEL: "WE ARE GOING TO LOOK OVER THE SPILL SITE AND SEE WHAT WE MIGHT BEABLE TO DO TO HELP,AND NEARLY ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE NORTHERN FORM FROM SWEDEN, FINLAND AND NORWAY ARE SAYING THEY WILL OFFER WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND EVALUATE IT AND GO FROM THERE." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 16th November 1994 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: USINSK, RUSSIA
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVADNAO6SZTXT6NXCV8LP0QMX6DV
  • Story Text: Almost one week after the discovery of a large oil spill in Russia's Arctic region, environmentalists say the Russian authoritiesare making a mess of the clear-up operation.

    Paul Horsman, head of Greenpeace International's Oil pollution campaign, said on Tuesday (November 1) that the clean-up operations in Russia's far northern Komi region were carried out in a pointless way.

    After inspecting the leaking oil pipeline along the Usinsk-Khoryaga road north of Usinsk and the polluted Palnik-shur stream, the environmental expert commented that burning oil off as is being done in the area would be illegal in the West.

    He added that it was pointless for the workers to be removing oil sludge from the stream and dumping it in a pit only one kilometre away.

    Horsman said that during the spring thaw, the water will mix with the dumped oil again.

    As Greenpeace pressed on with its assessment of the scale of the pollution in Usinsk, further international assistance was being offered by a team newly arrived from the United States.

    The delegation headed by governor of Alaska, Walter Hickel, is made up of enviornmentalists and oil pollution specialists, expert at tackling oil spills in icy conditions of the Arctic circle.

    Hickel, speaking at Usinsk aiport said his team would be giving on site advice to Russian experts.


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