Russia declared a federal state of emergency in the Krasnoyarsk region as pollution from a diesel spill in the Arctic city of Norilsk drew comparisons with the Exxon Valdez accident off Alaska in 1989.
The state of emergency was announced late Wednesday after being approved by President Vladimir Putin. Greenpeace called the accident the largest ever in the Arctic Circle region. On May 29, 20 000 t of diesel spilled from a reservoir owned by MMC Norilsk Nickel’s power and utility unit.
The fuel has polluted land and local rivers that drain into a lake that’s linked to the Kara Sea. That lake is already affected, Kommersant newspaper reported, citing a spokesman at the Federal Agency for Fishing.