5 Jun 2020 21:58

Russian prosecutor general orders inspections of dangerous industrial facilities in permafrost areas following Norilsk oil spill

MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov has ordered that dangerous industrial facilities located in areas of permafrost be inspected following the fuel spill at Heat and Power Plant No. 3 in Norilsk.

"With the aim of preventing a repeat of such a situation at particularly dangerous facilities located in permafrost areas susceptible to thawing, Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov has issued directives to the regional prosecutors and environmental protection prosecutors to begin comprehensive inspections of such facilities," Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Andrei Ivanov told Interfax.

The inspectors are to assess the way these businesses abide by the regulations in operating dangerous industrial facilities, conducting environmental monitoring procedures, and taking proper measures to prevent emergencies, Ivanov said.

"Simultaneously, they will see how efficiently the state supervisory (control) bodies act. The Prosecutor General's Office will control the inspection results," it said.

The accident at Norilsk Heat and Power Plant No. 3 has become the second largest in Russia after the spill of 94,000 tonnes of oil in Komi in 1994. The cleanup at the time took six years.

A total of 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel leaked from the storage reservoir, which led to the contamination of soil and rivers. According to the company's information, the incident did not affect the city. The company said the accident was caused by abnormally warm weather in the past few years in the conditions of permafrost.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said the oil spill has been contained now.

Four criminal cases have been opened over the accident, and a workshop head from Norilsk Heat and Power Plant No. 3 has been arrested.