Belarus Environment Ministry assessing damage of Unecha-Ventspils pipeline leak

The Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry is calculating the extent of damage the national economy and environment received owing to the diesel fuel leak at the Unecha-Ventspils pipeline in the Beshenkovichi district, Vitebsk oblast. The statement was made by Vladimir Savchenko, head of the ministry’s special inspection for the control over the utilisation and protection of lands, plants, forests and landscapes.

Speaking about oil-polluted lands, Vladimir Savchenko told BelTA, there are technologies for processing the land, neutralising pollutant emissions. Such technologies can restore the land up to an ecologically safe level, if not up to the previous state. However, such technologies are expensive and time-consuming, said Vladimir Savchenko.

Now practical and scientific researches are being carried out in the polluted land. It is important to assess the direct damage of the oil leak as well as negative consequences, which will emerge years after. Therefore, environment monitoring will be stepped up in the polluted area and the Beshenkovichi district as a whole. The strict control will stay in place until there are no doubts the diesel fuel leak has been neutralised, noted the official.

Provisional data shows no special harm to the wildlife has been done. No mass mortality of fish, animals and birds has been reported.

Vladimir Savchenko stressed, all expenses related to liquidating consequences of the emergency and restoring the territory should be covered by the pipeline owner that violated the nature protection laws. The owner should compensate for damage and cover all expenses Belarus will run into organising the monitoring and neutralising the diesel fuel leak effects.

BelTA reported earlier, a diesel fuel leak of the oil pipeline owned by Russian oil company Yugozapadtransnefteprodukt polluted around 1.2 hectares of land. Some of the spilt diesel fuel polluted the Ulla river, a tributary of the Zapadnaya Dvina. According to provisional data, some 25 km of the water surface has been polluted. A special panel has been set up to investigate causes of the leak. Thanks to prompt measures the Belarusian side took the leak was fixed. According to the Emergencies Ministry, around 30 cubic metres of oil-water sludge has been collected in the breach area and some 200 cubic metres of oil-water sludge from the water surface.