Murmansk Region to address the problem of cleaning sea and river waters from fuel and lubricants spilt from ships
Murmansk Region should address the problem of cleaning sea and river waters from fuel and lubricants caused by ships, the issues was brought up during the “regional hour” at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. According to the Ministry’s press release, the video conference was chaired by Dmitry Kobylkin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.
The meeting participants listened to a report of Murmansk Region Governor Marina Kovtun on the state of environment and outlines certain recommendations.
One of the key and most urgent environmental problems in the region is the contamination of water bodies with waste waters discharged by companies located along the coast of the Kola Bay.
Another cause of pollution is the leakage of lubes from vessels. Technologies and equipment applied in the Murmansk Region for treatment of oily waters are out of date and require modernization.
The participants also discussed issues related to removing sunk ships from the water are. The project started in the region is under control on the federal level.
The Murmansk Region has a special strategic status for Russia. Geographical location defined the Kola Peninsula as a priority element in ensuring the geopolitical interests of Russia in the north of Europe and the Arctic. Its non-freezing deep-water the Kola Bay became the main base of the Northern Fleet, and Murmansk sea port became the center of industrial fishing in the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic, and the starting point of the Arctic.
Today, Murmansk is the only port in European Russia with an open access to major oceanic routes. Port of Murmansk has direct access to the Northern Sea Route, that links the Atlantic to the Pacific through the arctic waters and provides access to natural resources of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East.
The Murmansk Region located at the junction of transnational routes and having reliable sea, railway, road and air links with industrial Russian regions can surely be called a northern gateway of Russia.
