IRKUTSK, April 28 (Itar-Tass) —— The prosecutor’s office in the Irkutsk Region has found numerous violations at the Usolyekhimprom enterprises and the Pribaikalye integrated works of the Federal Agency of State Reserves during the inspection into the diesel fuel spill in the Angara River.
Over 4 tonnes of diesel fuel spilled in the Angara River over Pribaikalye’s illegal cut in the local pipeline, and the water intake was suspended in the Cheremkhovsky district. The detectives found that the oil products flowed in the river through a collector, which belongs to Usolyekhimprom. The prosecutor’s office believes that the enterprise did not provide for the maintenance and the protection of the storm water drainage. “The negligence of officials resulted in the penetration of the criminals, which were pumping illegally the oil products from the pipeline, in the storm water drainage system,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the inspection found that “the penetration of the criminals, who were stealing the fuel, was connived through the negligence of officials, who are responsible for the guarding of the enterprise, where the fuel spilled (the Pribaikalye integrated works of the Federal Agency of State Reserves – Itar-Tass). The prosecutor’s office believes that the directorate of the enterprise did not inform timely the state authorities about the fuel spill. Minister of housing policy, energy and transport in the Irkutsk Region Pyotr Voronin said on Friday that a sharp fall in the pressure inside the pipeline was fixed at 11:00 local time on Wednesday, while the fuel spill was reported at about 20:00 local time.
“The land, on which the illegal cut in the pipeline was made, was occupied illegally by people, who lived in the house on this land without any registration and property right documents,” the prosecutor’s office said. In this respect, the prosecutor has made instructions to the Usol Sibirskoye mayor to eliminate the violations of the land property legislation.
Two criminal cases were opened under Article 159 (the theft from the oil pipeline) and Article 250 of the Criminal Code (the contamination of the waters and water sources) in the region over the fuel spill. The police have found six suspects, who live in the town Usol-Sibirskoye. Three of them were detained.
The cleanup of the oil spill in the Angara River continues. The emergency situation is in effect in the district.