The spill took place on May 29 at a power plant near the city of Norilsk, located in the Arctic Circle, 2,900 kilometers north-east of Moscow.
Oil leaked into two rivers: the Daldykan and the Ambarnaya which is located 12 kilometers away from the site of the spill.
Norilsk Nickel said in a statement that the “severe leak” was caused by the collapse of supports under a diesel storage tank.
It added that it notified authorities in a “timely and proper” manner, a version disputed by Moscow. The Minister for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Natural Disaster Relief, Yevgeny Zinichev, said on Wednesday, that it was only told of the leak on May 31.
“All this time, the company tried to localize the consequences of the spill on its own,” he said.
Several rescue teams have been sent including a group from the Ministry of Emergencies and another form the Maritime and River Transport Agency.
Booms to contain the oil have been secured and work is now underway to collect the oil and purify contaminated water and soil.
WWF Russia has warned that oil may have reached Lake Pyasino, located about 20 kilometers from the power plant, and that “successful spot localization does not mean that no pollutants have not reached the lake”.
“Alas, the most toxic components of diesel fuel are light aromatics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), which in significant quantities will nevertheless dissolve in water and can in no way be collected by booms”.
It also stressed that the spill could lead to “dire, catastrophic consequences” and threaten “the health and life of the local population” as well as “cause irreparable damage to ecosystems: fish, birds, animals die”.
An investigation into the spill has been launched.
