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  • 2006 November 28

    Oil spill results summed up at the port of Saint Petersburg

    In January-October 2006 the captain service of Saint Petersburg port registered 11 cases of oil spills involving the vessels and a number of cases when oil products leak into the harbor waters from adjacent industrial facilities. Thus, in the 10-month period of the current year, the ship owners happened to beat the notorious record of the previous year. In 2005 there were 10 significant (over 50 kg) oil spills registered in the port. 

     

    List  by date

    January 1:  The NORDIC CAPE motor ship (flag of Liberia) caused leakage of 300 kg of heavy fuel oil into the harbor waters and onto the ice at the berth No1 of Kanonersky Ship Repair Yard. The response activities were carried out by the Baltic Basin Response Department.

    January 17: Heavy fuel oil was spilled at the berth No23 of the First Stevedoring Company. About 1000 kg of dark oil product spilled into the harbor waters and onto the ice. The response activities were carried out by the forces of the Sea Port of Saint Petersburg. The SHALA steam ship (flag of Russia) is considered to be guilty as it was at the berth when heavy fuel oil spilled into water.  

    February 11: In the course of the bunkering operation carried out at the berth No 112А of PNT CJSC the hose collapsed at the VELTA bunkering tanker (flag of Russia). About 50 kg of dark oil product spilled into the harbor waters and onto the ice.  The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC.

    April 10: The ABRA steam ship (flag of Panama) moored at the berth No РП-2 of Sea Fishing Port LLC caused leakage of 350 kg of heavy fuel oil into the harbor waters and onto the ice. The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC.

    May 25: The ARCTIC NIGHT steam ship (flag of Malta) caused another spill at the berth ЖБИ-2 of MorGidroStroi Plant OJSC. About 1500 kg of heavy fuel oil spilled into the harbor waters. The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC.

    July 13: The WALKA MLODYCH steam ship (flag of Malta) caused leakage of 175 kg of heavy fuel oil into the harbor waters at the berth No 103 of the Forth Stevedoring Company CJSC. The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC.

    July 30: The Phoenix bunker base (flag of Russia) caused leakage of about 960 kg of heavy fuel oil spilled into the harbor waters at the berth No4 of Baltiysky Zavod OJSC. The response activities were carried out by Response Department of ECO Phoenix Holding OJSC and Baltic Basin Response Department.

    September 20: At the berth No 83 of PKT CJSC in the course of washing carried out at the ERMAK icebreaker the holding tanks of the bilge-water collecting vessel were overfilled which resulted in the spill of about 150 kg of oily mixture containing heavy fuel oil. The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC. On the same day, the SAN LUIS steamship (flag of Belize) spilled about 50 kg of gas-oil at the berth No 15 operated by Perstiko CJSC. The response activities were carried out by the vessel’s crew.

    October 31: MorGidroStroi Plant was again in the list of the port’s incidents. This time, 250 kg of heavy fuel oil was spilled into water from the DEAN vessel (flag of Malta). The spill at the berth ЖБИ-1 was liquidated by Baltic Basin Response Department (BBRD). One more spill was liquidated the same day by BBRD specialists at the berth No РП-2 of the Sea Fishing Port LLC, where the FORLAINE-1 steam ship (flag of Cyprus) spilled about 250 kg of heavy fuel oil.

     

    No one to blame

    There were also three cases when no guilty persons were found. On August 11 oil spill covering 4000 m2 was found in the water of the Big Turukhtannaya harbor. 1500 kg of oil products were collected by BBRD.

    On September 11, 3200 m² oil spill was found in the water area of Ugolnaya harbor. Liquidation of about 1300 kg of oil products was carried out by BBRD. This time, oil products could appear from underwater pipeline running at the bottom of Ugolnaya harbor.

    In September – October 2006 oil spills were found close to the berth No 112 of Petersburg Oil Terminal (PNT). The response activities were carried out by Marine Ecology LLC under contract of response alert.

     

    Eco-bill for a million

    In 2006, major players at the market of oil spill response were Baltic Basin Response Department (state-run enterprise) and Marine Ecology (private company).

    The above situations resulted in initiation of 14 administrative cases. As PortNews IAA learnt from Roman Baluev, deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor (Russia’s nature supervision watchdog), the guilty companies were fined for RUR 362 000. RUR 298 000 has been already paid. Besides, these companies have been invoiced for payment of RUR 675 681 of environmental damage, RUR 35 341 has not been paid yet. According to Rosprirodnadzor, average damage totaled RUR 48 000, with the highest sum amounting to RUR 165 000.
     
    Sophia Vinarova 
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