Spill on a grand scale

Oleg Mitvol declared war on Rosneft

Deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor Oleg Mitvol yesterday accused the state oil company Rosneft of deliberately covering up the accident at the Malobalykskoye field, which resulted in a serious oil spill. As the ministry's press service said yesterday, he sent a letter to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, in which he pointed out these violations of environmental legislation. Now administrative proceedings may be initiated against the company, threatening not only fines, but the possibility of initiating a criminal case against the management of its “daughter” - RN-Yuganskneftegaz LLC, in whose territory the spill occurred. Rosneft does not comment on Mr. Mitvol’s initiatives, noting only that the company does not hide the fact of the accident and is carrying out all the necessary work to eliminate its consequences.

An oil spill occurred on the interfield section of the oil pipeline at the Malobalykskoye field on May 20. However, according to the official, the first reports of the accident appeared only on May 31. At the same time, data on the volume of spilled oil provided by the company and local inspectors of Rosprirodnadzor differ hundreds of times. Rosneft says 7.7 tons leaked, and officials say the spill could reach 200 to 400 tons. Each side gives the same area of ​​the spill - 23.8 hectares, but the company claims that out of the total area of ​​pollution, only 0.3 hectares of forest and 0.27 hectares of water bodies were affected. According to Mr. Mitvol, the scale of pollution is “particularly alarming,” since oil got not only into the forest, but also into the Suika and Maly Balyk rivers.

“We have seen the figures given by Rosneft, but the fact that only 7.7 tons of oil can flood 23 hectares of land and form a film of 90 km seems very doubtful to our specialists,” Mr. Mitvol was indignant in a conversation with correspondent for Vremya Novostey. -- It will take several months of work to eliminate such a volume of pollution. And this is not the first time that this company has had an oil spill. Several thousand accidents happen at Yuganskneftegaz every year, but they don’t report it.”

The Ministry of Natural Resources emphasizes that Rosneft will not be able to escape with a slight fright. In the near future, a calculation of the damage caused to water bodies and forests will be made, which will be recovered from the company. In addition, as Mr. Mitvol explained, crimes of this level can be considered criminal offenses. “Now the prosecutor’s office has already started considering this case, so within a month it will decide on the need to initiate a case against the head of Yuganskneftegaz, Vladimir Bulba,” he noted.

However, this is not the first time Mr. Mitvol has made accusations against Rosneft, but so far none of them have reached their logical conclusion.

Anna GORSHKOVA