More than 20,000 tons of diesel oil spilled into a lake in the Arctic Circle on Friday, May 29, leading Vladimir Putin to declare a state of emergency in the region. The spill was a result of a fuel tank at a power plant close to the Siberian city of Norilsk collapsed and is one of the worst spills in recent history.
- The plant’s director Vyacheslav Starostin has been arrested. He was taken into custody, where he will remain until July 31. However, he hasn’t yet been charged with any crimes. Given his involvement in the oil spill and the lasting damage it could cause to the Arctic Circle, charges could be forthcoming.
- Russian Investigative Committee has launched an investigation. They consider an oil spill in the region to be a criminal matter due not only to the pollution caused in the Arctic Circle but the fact that authorities waited two days before informing authorities in Moscow of the spill, BBC News reports.
- The oil spill was thought to have been caused by ground subsidence. Subsidence happens when the ground under a structure sinks lower or collapses, taking what’s above it down with it. Because the weather in the Arctic Circle has been incredibly warm this year, it’s caused melting of the permafrost in the ground, which led to this travesty.
- The oil leaked up to 7.5 miles away from the spill site. This turned huge stretches of the Ambarnaya river deep red, not to mention the damage it will have done to any wildlife in the area. In total, it is said to have contaminated a 135 square mile area, which is massive.
- Extra forces are headed to the Arctic Circle to assist in clean-up. According to World Wildlife Fund expert, Alexei Knizhnikov, this is the second largest oil spill in Russian history, and other environmental groups have warned that it will be difficult if not impossible to clean up properly. It’s estimated that the cleanup efforts could cost $1.5bn and take between five to 10 years.
