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 STREA
  • 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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