NOVO-OGAREVO, June 5. /TASS/: The situation with the petroleum products spill in Norilsk should be under total control and causes should be found out uncompromisingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"I ask all the agencies that should be directly involved in this work, certainly the Ministry of Emergencies, to establish full special control over the situation," the president said at the meeting with environmentalists and animal activities. "Definitely, causes should be identified and damages should be assessed thoroughly and uncompromisingly, objectively," he added.
Putin also demanded Russia’s environmental watchdog check thoroughly all storage facilities for oil products in the country.
"I ask Russia’s Federal Supervision Service for Natural Resources Management to analyze thoroughly the condition of similar facilities across the entire country and organize checks, if necessary, including involving emergencies ministry specialists and law enforcers," he said at a meeting with ecologists and animal rights activists.
He also demanded the cabinet draft amendments to the environment protection laws to prevent environmental emergencies like the oil spill in Norilsk. He stressed that it should be done by the end of the current parliamentary session.
The loss of containment of the diesel fuel tank occurred on the territory of the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk on May 29. A motor vehicle drove into the fuel spill, causing fire outbreak. Over 21,000 tonnes of fuel escaped in total.
The petroleum products leakage has been localized and more than 200 tonnes of fuel have been gathered, Russian Emercom told TASS earlier on Friday.
