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Oil spill being removed round-the-clock in Black Sea’s Tuapse

SOCHI, December 25. /TASS/. After-effects of an oil spill caused by the leaking of Tikhoretsk-Tuapse-2 pipeline are being eliminated from the coastal line round-the-clock at Black Sea resort city of Tuapse. The weather does not allow removing oil at the port area that is planned to start in the afternoon on December 26, Russian sea-and river-going transport agency said.

Six emergency brigades of 14 each were set up and 72 units of machinery were used to collect oil-contaminated fractions, the agency noted. “Azov-Black Sea branch of the state sea rescue service of domestic sea-and river-going transport agency has removed ten cubic metres of oil product-polluted fractions mixed with junk. Emergency rescue service of the Tuapse sea trade port has collected 3.5-4 cubic metres of oil product-contaminated fractions with junk,” Russian sea-and river-going transport agency said.

Southern and south-eastern winds are blowing 12-14 metres per second at the Tuapse port gusting up to 17 metres per second, waves are 1-1.5 meters high and 2-3 metres at the port harbour. “The weather does not allow cleaning up contaminated area in the port area by vessels available and on standby for this task,” the agency said.

The loss of containment of the oil pipeline has occurred overnight to Wednesday between settlements Kirpichnoye and Grechesky in the Tuapse district. As long as 260 metres of booms were placed to prevent oil spill from spreading, including one hundred metres on a brooch and 160 metres on the Tuapse River in the area of settlement Krasny.

Tuapse authorities declared an emergency.

Five cubic metres of oil emulsion were removed on the Tuapse River, the territorial emergencies department said earlier. According to preliminary reports, 8.4 cubic metres of oil has spilled. Drinking water was not polluted, Russian sanitary standards agency said.