Azeri experts warn of ecological disaster after Russian oil spill in Caspian
BBC Monitoring Caucasus
3 June 2005
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1600 gmt 2 Jun 05
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 2 June
By Ceyhun Asgarov, Emil Babaxanov, ANS.
[Presenter] The Caspian Sea is polluted as there is an oil slick in
the sea. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has
sent an inquiry to the relevant ministry in Russia about the incident.
[Correspondent, over video of beach scenes, map of oil-polluted
sections of the Caspian] A warning to those who are going to the Nabran
resort area [northern Azerbaijan]: do not go into the sea more than
25 metres away from the coast unless you want to have an oil bath
in the Caspian. A total of 300 tonnes of oil have spilt into the sea
from Russia’s River Terek [in Dagestan] since early May. The oil slick
entered the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian several days ago and has
accumulated predominantly in the Yalama-Nabran area. The slick begins
75 metres off the Nabran coast and stretches 7,820 metres into the sea.
But this is not the end of the story.
The chief of the Caspian comprehensive ecological monitoring department
of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Latifa Huseynova,
who returned from the polluted area today, believes that the pollution
may grow into an ecological disaster and cover new areas.
[Huseynova] Of course, it may not be confined to only the Yalama-Nabran
area, but can also be dispersed by currents and cover almost all the
coastal areas of our republic.
[Correspondent] However, experts still evaluate this incident not as
an ecological disaster, but as a major ecological pollution. Now, the
concentration of oil in the polluted area exceeds the established
norm by a factor of 158. This poses a great threat to people’s
health. The chief of the environmental protection department of the
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Huseyn Mammadov, says that
ministry employees are carrying out observations in the Yalama-Nabran
area. People will be warned against swimming in the sea in case of
emergency. One step has already been taken. The Azerbaijani ministry
sent an inquiry to Russia about the incident.
[Mammadov] We applied to the environmental department of the Russian
ministry of ecology [as heard, Ministry of Natural Resources] with
a telephone message and asked them to provide full information about
the oil spill from the River Terek to the Caspian.
[Correspondent] Every time there are oil slicks in any part of
the Caspian, Russia and other Caspian littoral states unanimously
blame Azerbaijan for producing much oil and being the culprit in the
contamination. This time, the main culprit in the pollution is known,
end of quote.
It should be noted that it is still unclear what will happen to the
oil slick in the Yalama-Nabran coastal area. The slick’s movement
will depend on natural processes in the Caspian. The slick may
disintegrate, flow into different areas and pass into the Turkmen and
Iranian sections. But for the time being, the 300 tonnes of oil are
closer to the Azerbaijani coasts. That is why, be careful if you do
not want to dive in white and come up black.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress