Over 5 million gallons of oil seeped into a river in the Arctic Circle — turning it red

• The incident happened last Friday (May 29) after a fuel tank at the power plant — which is owned by the renowned nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel — collapsed in the industrial area of Norilsk.
  
• On June 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency.
  
• The officials at the Federal Agency for Fishery under the Russian government are calling it a “ecological catastrophe.”

Over 5 million gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Ambarnaya River, within the Arctic Circle. That is equivalent to 20 metric tons of oil.

The incident happened last Friday (May 29) after a fuel tank at the power plant — which is owned by the renowned nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel — collapsed in the industrial area of Norilsk. The city is situated approximately 300 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle — and even requires permission if foreigners plan to visit.

However, the news surfaced two days later when the authorities discovered the oil leak.

Come Wednesday (June 3), Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency and criticised the company officials over untimely response. He has directed officials to investigate the matter and the power plant has been detained.

The officials at the Federal Agency for Fishery under the Russian government are calling it a “ecological catastrophe.”

It is now believed that the Arctic Circle will take decades to recover from this. The pillars that supported the tank started to sink and the fuel tank lost pressure and the oil and lubricants seeped out of the tank causing fire across a wide area of 350 square metres. The oil spilled over 12 kilometer, turning the river red.

However, this has not happened for the first time. Four years ago, Norilsk Nickel reported an accident that also turned a river red.

"...It can already be said now that it will take decades for the restoration of the ecological balance of the affected Norilo-Pyasinsky water system," Klokov, the official at the Federal Agency reportedly said.

On the other hand, the company official said that it is going every possible extent to clear the oil spill. It said that specialists from Moscow have been called to contain further spread of the oil into the region.

But, it will take at least 10-14 days by the time these specialists pump out the oil. The experts say that it is ‘too early’ to assess the damage caused.

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