In Norilsk rescuers collect fuel from the water surface and the export of contaminated soil. According to experts, to completely eliminate the consequences of the accident will take years.
the Localization, the collection, transportation and disposal — this procedure works today with oil spills in the world. But it’s only at first glance; the location and extent of the accident make serious corrections. From 20 thousand tons in Norilsk spilled fuel over the three days managed to gather so far, only 120 tons.
“it is too early to say what methods will be used, but, according to our specialists, while we collect in containers for petroleum products… and disposal is delayed indefinitely”, – says Andrey Malov, the assistant Director of media relations Sea rescue service.
Liquidation of consequences of technogenic catastrophes of a common cause, participants say. On a place rescuers Marsaskala, emergency, it is expected the arrival of 70 rescuers “Gazprom oil”. The plane with people, oil collection and pumping equipment, excavators and booms is off to Norilsk. The work will be hard and long. The global challenge is to bring the indicators of harmful substances in soil and water to a so-called zero discharge.
“If it’s on the water — separation, if the soil, so the washing of the soil from petroleum products and the subsequent bringing of the soil to the requirements of Rosprirodnadzor in the content of residual oil”, — says Professor Stanislav Meshcheryakov, head of the Department of industrial ecology of Gubkin University.
Now the contamination of the water is removed using special filters; they separate the fuel from water. Methods of liquidation of consequences there are several. To find the most suitable for the particular situation, the operational staff has requested guidance from specialized companies.
first and foremost, experts recommend the use of special bacteria that consume the nefteprodof products.
“There are environmentally friendly purification technology of land on the site. Biological technology — the cleanest and they need maximum use. So, if the concentrations are such that cannot be cleaned by biological methods, that remove the top layer affected by hazardous waste — in this case diesel fuel, and transported to our plants, where the method of washing the contaminant is washed, and the soil returned to the areas of remediation,” says Alexander Kurchenko, Director General of the emergency rescue formation of “Nature”.
with regard to utilization of soil and water contaminated with petroleum products, the question is still open. Rosprirodnadzor and environmentalists oppose incineration. Burning mixed with water and sludge fuel may affect the environment worse than the spill itself. Of the possible options is to place the waste in special containers with insulation, and then using special equipment to separate it into components. Now quickly have to learn the whole international experience.
“bring the Barge to the pier after the contaminated oil spill land. There on the plants, it is cleaned; these works are very much in demand in the future, we need to build the sites for cleaning land, as in Norway and Belgium. These centres and we will solve the problem of waste disposal,” – said Alexander Kurchenko.
But, according to experts, completely to abandon the technology of burning oil is not worth it, especially because in international practice, this method is applied.
In 2010, after the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the coast of Florida oil literally burns. The thermal impact was one of the stages of the aftermath of the sinking of the tanker “Exxon Valdez” in the late 80-ies; then, the sea fell about 40 thousand tons of oil. But in each case the arson is as a residual and only in combination with other measures. After mmehanicheskoj cleaning and the use of surfactants and solvents.
