MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Almost 165,000 metric tons of sand and soil polluted with fuel oil have been collected on the Russian coast after two tankers collided in the Kerch Strait, the Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.
"Interagency monitoring groups are inspecting an 896-kilometer-long area along the coast in three Russian regions. Areas totaling 794 kilometers have been designated for cleanup of oil products. As many as 164,798 tons of polluted sand and soil have been removed, and 125,766 tons have been disposed of," the statement reads.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, 2,147 square kilometers have been inspected in the Kerch Strait area; 42,985 square kilometers have been cleared of oil, and 25 tons of oil-containing liquid were collected. Besides, 16.27 tons of oil-containing waste have been removed along the coast, including the ports of Anapa and Sevastopol.
Eighteen interagency monitoring groups are operating in the Krasnodar Region, which have inspected a 220-kilometer-long coastline, detecting sporadic, minor oil spills.
"Work is underway to clear oil near the rear part of the Volgoneft-239 tanker," the ministry added. A total of 1,236 tons have been gathered. In addition, efforts continue to create an artificial harbor around the tanker’s rear in order to prevent oil products from leaking into the open sea. As many as 164,174 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been cleared from the coast.
In Crimea, a 483.3-kilometer-long coastline has been inspected; 449.9 tons of polluted sand and soil have been collected, and 377.84 tons have been disposed of.