SIMFEROPOL, December 26. /TASS/. More than 130 metric tons of sand polluted with fuel oil have been cleared from the Crimean coast following a collision between two tankers in the Black Sea, the region’s head, Sergey Aksyonov, told the Crimea-24 TV channel.
"We have sixteen 30-member groups working along the shore; 130 tons of fuel oil have been removed over the past few days," he said.
The regional authorities are monitoring the oil spill via satellite imagery to respond to the situation promptly. According to Aksyonov, a group of businessmen from St. Petersburg has contacted the Crimean government, offering their proprietary clean-up technology; the authorities say they are ready to consider all options as long as they prove effective.
The Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers collided on December 15. One crew member was killed, while others were evacuated. According to emergency services, the tankers were carrying approximately 9,200 tons of fuel oil. The oil leak polluted a vast area of the Black Sea. More than 23,500 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been removed in the Krasnodar Region.