In the current of the bottom: fuel oil continues to pollute the Black Sea coastline
The discharge of oil products onto the shores of Anapa and Temryuksky district has not stopped, the situation remains tense, recognized the head of the region Veniamin Kondratiev. In Krasnodar region after the accident of two tankers with fuel oil on December 25, the regional emergency regime was introduced. The region will allocate 1.2 billion rubles to eliminate the consequences of the accident, promised local authorities. On the eve of the chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Bastrykin instructed to initiate criminal proceedings for insufficient measures to eliminate the pollution. On why the regional emergency regime is introduced and how it will help to solve the environmental disaster in the Krasnodar region - in the material "Izvestia".
How the regional emergency regime was introduced
The release of petroleum products on the shore of Anapa and Temryuksky district dragged on and does not stop, recognized in his Telegram-channel Governor of the Krasnodar region Veniamin Kondratiev.
- Initially, according to the calculations of scientists and specialists, the bulk of the fuel oil should have remained on the bottom of the Black Sea, which would have allowed it to be collected in the water. But the weather dictates its own conditions, the air warms up and oil products rise to the top. As a result, they are carried to our beaches," he said. - Up to now there has been a municipal level state of emergency, which was promptly introduced by the authorities of Anapa and Temryuksky district in the first days of the shipwreck. But the situation remains tense. I made a decision to introduce the regional emergency regime from today.
Tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239" December 15, crashed in the Kerch Strait. According to satellite data, about 3 thousand tons of fuel oil ended up in the sea. Coastal pollution is being eliminated by rescuers and volunteers. As reported by the Ministry of Transport on December 25, the organizations subordinate to the agency cleaned 4.9 thousand square meters of beaches and shore areas. Operational staff specified that about 25 tons of oily waste were collected. 27.9 thousand square meters of water area was cleaned from fuel oil.
President Vladimir Putin called the incident an "environmental disaster" during his direct line on December 19. The head of state noted that various services and agencies are working on the situation, coordinated by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev - a special working group has been created for this purpose.
Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin instructed the head of the Investigative Committee of the Krasnodar Territory Andrei Maslov to initiate a criminal case on information about the lack of measures to eliminate pollution. This was reported by the information center of the IC on Tuesday, December 25.
On the same day, specialists found the sunken bow of the tanker "Volgoneft-239". The operative headquarters specified that divers will check it for oil product leakage as soon as the weather permits.
The regional budget will allocate 1.2 billion rubles for the liquidation of the emergency from the regional budget, said the head of the region Veniamin Kondratiev. In 2024, the municipality will be allocated 400 million rubles, in 2025 - another 800 million rubles.
In addition, in the industrial zone of Voskresensky farm create a temporary transshipment site, reported the mayor's office of Anapa. The polluted soil collected on the beaches will be brought there, and further - it will be delivered for utilization and disinfection to certified enterprises. This solution will allow to speed up the removal of contaminated sand from the resort's beaches twice, the city administration believes.
- On the area of 2.8 hectares they are already preparing a hard asphalt concrete base. It is necessary to make such a covering to prevent the penetration of oil products into the soil. For the same purpose, the perimeter of the site will be bunded. After completion of oil products utilization the site itself will be recultivated, - explained in the mayor's office.
What will the regional emergency regime give to the region?
The emergency regime is the main legal mechanism, which begins the response of the Russian authorities to serious threats to the safety, life and health of the population, recalled lawyer Vladislav Usachev.
On December 24, Presidential Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the introduction of a federal-scale emergency regime "is not planned yet."
- Everything will depend on the recommendations of specialists who work on the ground," he said.
According to the government decree "On the classification of natural and man-made emergencies," they are divided into local, local, territorial, regional, federal and transboundary.
- No less important is the source of allocating budget funds to resolve the crisis situation. If the emergency is of federal scale, regional authorities receive funds from the largest funds and sources of financing in the country. Such as the Strategic Development Fund, for example," he said.
The requirements for the regional emergency regime are much lower than for the federal one, lawyer Vladimir Shelupakhin explained. The number of victims in a regional emergency is more than 50 and not more than 500 people, as well as the amount of damage over Br5 million, but not more than Br500 million. In addition, such a regime provides for payments to the victims, the lawyer added. Lump-sum material aid is from Br10 to Br15 thousand per person.
- In addition to the mandatory payments, the victims can count on lump-sum payments for the loss of property and damage to health. The size of payments is established by the decree of the Russian government," said Vladimir Shelupakhin.
Dmitry Fedorov, Director of the Green Civilization Autonomous Nonprofit Organization, is sure that theintroduction of a regional emergency regime will help to cope with the consequences of the fuel oil spill more quickly.
- But a federal scale would be more effective," he believes. - When an emergency is declared at a level higher than the regional one, it implies the involvement of additional forces and means, which are lacking in a single subject of Russia. If we look figuratively, now we are digging with one shovel, and after the introduction of the federal regime it will be at least ten shovels.
The expert recalled that in the summer of 2024 in Yakutia the federal emergency regime was introduced due to forest fires. Rescuers from all over the country were deployed from the Aviation Forestry Protection Agency, thus accelerating the extinguishment, Dmitry Fedorov added.
