The consequences of a fuel oil spill from Russian tankers will affect not only the Russian Federation (video)

At the end of January, pollution from a Russian fuel oil spill could reach Odessa and the Balkans.

Scientists note that it will affect not only Russia, but also Bulgaria, Romania, southeastern Black Sea near Turkey. This is an unprecedented event, they say.

The Russian fuel oil spill in the Black Sea has become the “largest environmental disaster” in Russia since the beginning of the 21st centurysaid scientific director of the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Danilov-Danilyan in an interview with Russian media:

“This is the first time that fuel oil has been spilled in such large quantities. In my opinion, this is the most serious environmental disaster in Russia since the beginning of the 21st century. This is an unprecedented event.”

This situation, he emphasizes, cannot be compared with the diesel fuel spill in Norilsk in 2020 – then everything was “localized and quickly eliminated.” Event in the Black Sea is a “strong blow” to the ecosystemthe academician emphasized:

“The death of tens of thousands of birds, numerous dolphins, significant losses in coastal flora and fauna. In such an environment, even in salt water, almost nothing can live, with the exception of microorganisms that feed on fuel oil and decompose it.”

He also noted that the removal of at least 200-500 thousand tons of contaminated soil is already having consequences: in places where, due to the removal of soil, fuel oil entered the sea, the coastline shifted by 30-50 meters.

The scientist does not even predict how long it will take to cleanse the Black Sea of ​​fuel oil:

“Having dropped to a depth of more than 200 meters, where the hydrogen sulfide layer is located, fuel oil can remain there for a very long time. But you need to be prepared for the fact that rising currents can lift it. We need constant monitoring of resort shores, and only when it becomes clear that new emissions fuel oil clots become an exception, monitoring can be weakened.”

The scientist emphasized that this situation could have been avoided if ships that should have been decommissioned 20 years ago had not entered the Black Sea:

“It is impossible to avoid catastrophic consequences with such an approach: sooner or later they would come. Our insurance mechanism for such events practically does not work, and serious work to eliminate the consequences began only on the ninth or tenth day after the accident.”

After the crash, fuel oil from tankers washed up on the shores of the Krasnodar Territory – the beaches turned black from it. Previously, residents of Anapa independently eliminated the consequences of tanker accidents. The smell on the beach was unbearable. Therefore, some of the volunteers felt ill.

The damage from the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait is estimated at $14 billion.

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