Fuel oil from Russian tankers: pollution monitoring work continues in the Odesa region

Environmental services reported on the situation with fuel oil pollution of the Black Sea coast in the Odesa region.

This was discussed during an online meeting initiated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

Currently, the collection of detected fuel oil clots is continuing on the coast of the Odessa region. After concluding agreements with the relevant institutions, it is planned that the fuel oil will be sent for disposal.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection Serhiy Vlasenko noted that first of all, it is necessary to strengthen monitoring of all services on the ground, expand monitoring zones, and also conduct an analysis of the impact of pollution on biological resources.

“It is necessary to carry out an analysis of the potential risk for coastal nature reserves, work it out with nature conservationists. Next, organize the elimination of pollution and safe disposal with licensed companies. And most importantly, interaction between the population, environmental services, local authorities and nature conservation organizations. Detection, timely informing of state environmental inspectors and recording of damage are the main preventive actions that must be constantly carried out,” added Serhiy Vlasenko.

The following will conduct laboratory tests for the fact of pollution of sea waters in the Black Sea area: the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District, the Ukrainian Scientific Center for Marine Ecology, the Institute of Marine Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Odessa Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

According to the State Environmental Inspectorate, during an inspection of the coast on January 24 (the public beach of the Katranka recreational zone of the Lymansky community, the embankment between the Black Sea and the Dzhantsheysky estuary), clots measuring 0.5-5 cm in size were found along the coastal strip, which by external signs resemble oil products.

“The width of the line of pollution of the Black Sea coast is 1.5-2 m, and its length is about 1.5 km. The specified line of pollution is located at a distance of 24 meters from the sea. In addition, samples of sand with fuel oil were taken and sent for research. According to the results of the research, the content of petroleum hydrocarbons in the sample was 10.5% by mass or 105 g/kg of substance,” the report says.

In addition, on January 28, a film of petroleum products was discovered in the Odesa port. Also, on January 30, pollution was discovered in the area of ​​the Kurortne and Mykolaivka settlements – a substance similar to fuel oil, the fraction size is about 2-5 cm, pollution was recorded along the entire coast.

As previously reported by USM, on January 24, fuel oil from Russian tankers reached the shores of the Odesa region. This happened as a result of an accident on December 15, when two Russian ships were sinking in the Kerch Strait.