About 200 tonnes of diesel fuel have spilled into Russia’s Arctic Khatanga Bay after a storm damaged a storage tank supplying a power plant in the remote settlement of Syndassko.
Authorities said on Wednesday that a state of emergency had been declared in the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets municipal district, while regional law enforcement officials opened a criminal investigation into suspected violations of environmental protection rules.
Initial reports put the spill at about 170 tonnes, but law enforcement officials later estimated it at around 200 tonnes.
No signs of environmental damage
Emergency services separately cited about 200 cubic metres, with the exact amount still being determined.
Taimyr municipal head Alexey Chlenov said no obvious signs of environmental damage had been detected so far.
Specialists from supervisory and expert agencies have been sent to collect samples, he said, with a further assessment expected after laboratory testing.
The spill has not disrupted electricity supplies to Syndassko. Reserve tanks hold enough fuel to power the settlement for about 10 days, and additional supplies are expected to arrive from Khatanga.
