A sea storm in the Strait of Kerch sank or damaged a total of 12 ships in November, killing six sailors, releasing over three thousand tons of fuel oil and 6.5 thousand tons of sulfur into the water. Volunteers continue to wash and blow-dry oil-drenched birds. Yet, to this day, it is unclear who bears responsibility for the catastrophe and its resulting damages, estimated to reach $251 million.
Most of the fuel oil spilled from the tanker Volganeft-139, which broke in half and sank under the force of 70 mph winds. Two more ships, carrying large quantities of sulfur, sank in the same area several hours later. According to Viktor Beltsov of of the Ministry for Emergency Situations, none of the wrecked ships were built to withstand such a fierce storm; most were intended for river navigation. It is illegal for river ships to navigate the Azov and Black seas after November 1st, the start of storm season. Although nine storm warnings were issued to the ships, they sailed on into the 18-foot sea waves.
Environmentalists note that the Strait of Kerch, which has great ecological significance due to the number of fish migrations that pass through it, was an accident waiting to happen. Shallow water, high winds, and the fact that there are no systems in place to clean up oil spills, made the strait a poor location for high oil traffic, yet an oil processing plant was built there in 1999.
The Black Sea, home to luxury resorts and nature sanctuaries, may soon turn into an oil-shipment area, according to ecologist Sergei Golubchikov. As oil prices continue to rise, export volumes will increase. In addition, after the sinking of the tanker Prestige near Spain in 2002, the European Commission forbade the presence of old tankers near European shores. These ships – 60% of all the world’s tankers – will likely be sold to Russia, “whose oligarchs prefer to use the cheapest ships possible,” Golubchikov wrote for RIA News.
“The environmental catastrophe in the Crimea approaches the Chernobyl catastrophe in its magnitude,” said Vladimir Zakhmatov of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, at a Simferopol press-conference. Greenpeace estimated that some 30,000 birds died as a result of the disaster. Water samples taken in the Kuban estuary showed 50 times the maximum allowable concentration for petroleum products.
Over 40 kilometers of the shoreline were covered in crude oil, and more has yet to resurface (unlike refined oil, crude oil does not float). Ukrainian officials have demanded that the Russian shipping companies involved pay damages. It is unclear how this is possible, however, since Volgatanker, the company which owns the sunken Volganeft-139 has been in “permanent bankruptcy” since 2005, according to Boris Zhukov of Yezhenedelny Zhurnal.
“In my opinion, the situation that surrounds this catastrophe illustrates the general attitude of the Russian government to questions of ecology,” Sergei Tsyplyonkov of Greenpeace Russia told RFE/RL. “The Russian government is prepared to pay the ecological price for economic development.”
– maria antonova
Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.
Russian Life 73 Main Street, Suite 402 Montpelier VT 05602
802-223-4955
[email protected]
