No sulphur leaks from Black Sea tankers - ministry

14 November 2007 11:40  [Source: ICIS news]

MOSCOW (ICIS news)--No sulphur has leaked from tankers which sunk in the Black Sea during storms, Russian authorities said on Wednesday, alleviating fears of further pollution on top of widespread oil slicks which have blighted the region’s wildlife.

 

Three sulphur tankers were lost, sparking fears that 6,800 tonnes of the substance had leaked into the Black Sea, potentially causing acid rain.

 

Meanwhile, authorities have decided to place a barrier between Russia's Cape Tuzla and Ukraine's Tuzla Island in the Kerch Strait in order to prevent leaked oil products from drifting into the Azov Sea, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement.

 

The ministry dispatched about 1,000 personnel on Wednesday to collect leaked oil waste from the shores.

 

Four ships sank, six vessels ran aground and two oil tankers were damaged in the storm on Sunday which also led to chemical shipping delays in the region.

 

Oil products leaked from the Volganeft-139, causing what many have called an unprecedented environmental disaster and potentially killing 30,000 sea birds.

 

Officials estimated the oil clean-up alone cost more than €100m ($145m) and take 10-15 years.

 

($1 = €0.68)

By: Sergei Blagov
+44 20 8652 3214

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