June 05, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium, has reportedly a catastrophic oil leak on May 29 at a power plant near the city of Norilsk, located in the Arctic Circle, 2,900 kilometers north-east of Moscow.

Norilsk Nickel stated the leak came from thawing permafrost had caused one of the tank’s pillars to collapse. So far, the spill has spread over more than 20,000 tons of diesel leaked into the two rivers: the Daldykan and the Ambarnaya near the city of Norilsk which is located 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away from the site of the power plant.

The huge diesel oil spill has turned the Ambarnaya river crimson and has contaminated a 350 square km (135 square miles) area. Russia President Vladimir V. Putin condemned the spill which threatened to inflict significant damage to the Arctic environment. In addition, President Putin has declared a state of emergency in the region in northern Siberia.